


(Don't) Gimme the Z

by cool_ha_ha



Category: Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Discussion of Abortion, Drug Addiction, Drug Withdrawal, Drugs, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Grave Robbers, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Oral Sex, Prostitution, Public Sex, Recreational Drug Use, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:14:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29028513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cool_ha_ha/pseuds/cool_ha_ha
Summary: Since Bajor began suffering random organ failures, a Cardassian company called GeneCo have had control of the people and their well being. Odo signs himself up as a Repo man, Quark is grave robbing and drug dealing, while Kira plans on dragging the whole operation down kicking and screaming.
Relationships: Odo/Quark (Star Trek)
Kudos: 1





	1. Gimme the Z

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing from start to finish is drugs, sex, pain and suffering. You read the tags. You have been warned.
> 
> I would like to thank Edgebug for the suggesting the idea and letting me run like a maniac with it. They also answered many of my questions as I went on this lockdown fueled adevnture.

Intro

Kira’s point of view

“I was only 3 when my mother was taken from me. Father claims she didn’t survive the surgeries necessary to save her and it was all in the hands of the prophets. I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t. One by one, my family were picked off by some disease or another. I heard once upon a time Bajor was green and bright. The people were friendly and we didn’t need GeneCo to protect us from our own biology. Of course, you can’t say that without being called a conspiracy theorist, or getting targeted by the Cardassians' little gestapo. If they think I’m going down at the hands of some repo man, or turning to the streets for cash to pay for new organs you’d be wrong. I’d rather die fighting. This is why I’m going to prove Cardassia is the reason Bajor looks like this, and I’m going to fix it, all by myself, or die trying.

Quark’s point of view

The Ferengi way of life is admittedly hard. You do things right, you go broke. You do them wrong, the FCA are after your head. You do wrong things right, and you profit.  
Quark followed the branches of the GeneCo tree like any animal would follow the fruit that feeds it. As it grows, so does opportunity, and where there’s opportunity, there are those who failed. Sometimes you must look at suffering to learn how to avoid it, or exploit it. 

Quark arrived on Bajor with a supply already on hand, and made himself comfortable among the slums and its people, who were ready to buy or trade to get their hands on their precious Zydrate. Once it was in the system, there's no way to get rid of it. More people take it, more people fail to pay up, more bodies to extract it back from. The only problem is the damn GeneCo itself.   
Don’t they realise he’s doing them a favour? Not like Quark can get high of it any way. His Ferengi biology needs an extremely high dose to notice it, unlike the rest of these susceptible people.

Odo’s point of view

Odo sits in front of a very flashy desk. The room is dark, but shiny. Warm but well ventilated. On the other side of the desk is Gul Dukat. He runs this branch and is in charge of overseeing Bajor gets its medical treatment, and GeneCo gets its money.  
“You say you’re from Bajor?” He asks.  
Odo nods. “I was raised there. We are yet to meet another shapeshifter.”  
Dukat lowers his padd. “Interesting that with no experience you chose to apply for this.”  
Odo knows he’s being led on, but happily takes the bait. “I was raised by a Doctor Mora, you might have heard of him.”  
“AH yes, the scientist who made goo sentient.” 

Odo doesn’t react to the very obvious dig. “As most babies are unaware of their potential until they are taught and shown their capabilities, I was already sentient, but was unaware of it.”  
Dukat leans back. “And what about that, makes you think your suitable?”  
“Under Mora, I was exposed to a great deal of medical knowledge. I can memorise information as I read it. I am immune to health risks your other staff may be harmed by, such as gas, stab wounds, blunt force trauma etcetera. I can shapeshift objects and animals, but not people, so please do not ask if I’m at risk of infiltrating or blackmailing you. I have no interest in anything other than keeping order and serving justice.”

Dukat was silent for a moment.   
Odo waited.  
Dukat finally spoke. “I think our team could do with a few more like you.”  
“I simply wish to make Bajor a safe place from thugs who might abuse this new market and take prey from those who turn to it.”  
Dukat smiled. “I only wish more people saw it that way. Come. I’d like to show you the facility and prepare you for the work ahead.”  
Odo agreed and followed the Cardassian. 

Chapter 1

Quark lays on the roof of some abandoned building. The owners died years ago and he’s just moved in. The roof is flat with a man made tent to protect the cushions he lays on, and give him some space even when it’s raining. 

He looks up at the stars and wonders if he’ll ever move on from this. He’s been doing it for years and still hasn't caught. It’d be just his luck if he got struck by lightning on the day Rom’s debts are paid. 

A young Bajoran woman with different coloured eyes waves Quark back into the house. She’s a sweet girl. They met when one of her eyes stopped working. She got it replaced but failed to pay up. Luckily, they got her in contact with a guy who can replace them. That's how they met. She needed pain relief, and Quark had it in supply. She needs the Z now, and she’s happy to put out for him. 

They live with lots of other girls in similar boats and a few guys who do favours for the odd dose. Most pay in cash. He doesn’t care how they get it, as long as they pay. He’s had a lot of clients go missing for failing to pay GeneCo, or getting caught trying to get hold of the drug straight from the source. A brutal sight, watching desperate people try and drain it themselves from their dead house mates. Luckily Quark knows how to get it and where to get it.

Tonight, the group settled along the couches and mattresses of the room. It's dark, boarded up and has some basic electronics. A replicator, lights, heating and such. These people don’t need much, especially when they’ve got him. 

In the corner, by the window, there's a box. A locked box with a very long code to get in. That's where the gun and vials are stored. If the cops come, Quark takes the box, and the rest scatter. They’ll find him again, but they need to protect him or else the Z supply stops.

Quark smiles to himself and settles on the belly of one of their house mates. She strokes his ear and keeps watch. Another person pulls his coat off. Quark takes a long breath and looks between the two girls. “Are you asking for something?” He says to either of them.  
The one on his ears removed her hands. The one by his legs starts removing his shoes.  
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He smiles.

He knows he needs the money more than he needs to get laid, but he’s got plenty of clients and not all of these girls can get the money. The ones with money, usually pay up as soon as they’ve got it, but the ones who exchange favours, they are valuable at any time. The guys for example aren’t so interested in selling their bodies, so he tells them to pre dig a grave, or scan bodies in the area for Z. If they get caught, it’s not him that suffers.

Quark lolls his head back. Life is good, if a little messy. He runs his fingers through her hair. He knows the others are watching now. When one of them takes a hit, the others get excited for it. He’s got a few jobs in mind. Otherwise they’ll have to find work elsewhere. He knows they won’t go anywhere, or tell anyone, and that would make them very easy to exploit, but the real villains here are GeneCo.

GeneCo offers a service, then gets them addicted to that service. Why should they get in debt when good samaritans like himself are right here, and willing to provide for favours and loyalty. These girls know what he likes and the guys don’t wanna miss out. It's not his fault they’re dependent on feeling numb. Numb being the opposite of Quark's current state. Just a little longer and he’ll open the locked box for her. He knows the others will want their dose soon too. It’s like clockwork. It goes round, each triggering the other in a never ending cycle.

He buckles himself back up and kicks himself up to get the box.

Chapter 2

Odo wakes up from his bucket. He follows his routine of checking himself in the mirror and giving his room a basic once over.

His sleeping quarters are not huge, but they’re enough himself and close enough to the action that he can be sent from Terok Nor to Bajor in a matter of hours. Dukat is very pleased with him. Their relationship goes no further than handing him a name and an organ, then leaving him to it. 

The job isn’t enjoyable to say the least. They bleed, they run, they scream, they beg, they cry, they pray. They do anything but follow the rules. He shakes his head. How is it so hard to follow a simple payment plan? They have jobs on Bajor. You do it and you pay for your medical care. It’s not hard. He’s heard every excuse in the book by this point. They were robbed, or the business failed, or they lent it to someone, or they over spent. 

He did promise he’d always listen to their excuses. He’d never be able to look at himself in the mirror again if he picked the wrong target, or they never got their final say. What Odo doesn’t hesitate for, is actions. If they run, or pull a weapon, or try to distract, that's when Odo knows they’ve done talking and he’s got the right guy. Scans before the chase begins also give him peace of mind.

Just yesterday he was sent to collect a kidney. They'll live if they don’t struggle. He found out that they work in a factory on Bajor. Odo easily found him, scanned to double check and waited until after his shift. If he is going to pay, this is his last chance. The perpetrator wanders out of the building and follows the long road home. Odo walks right behind him.

Just as the guy turns to see how close Odo is, Odo holds his shoulder and shifts something sharp in the other hand. “Don’t panic. Just keep walking.”  
The man does as asked.  
“Very good. We’re going to take this next left into an alley.”  
The man shakes. “Are - Are you with GeneCo?”  
“I am.”  
“Oh.”

Odo just knows he’s going to run.

They make the turn for the ally and the perp runs. 

Odo saw it coming and only tightened his grip on the guy's shoulder, with enough force to break a clavicle. Nothing serious, if painful. 

As he yelled out in pain, Odo pulled him aside and pushed him into the dead end.

“Today was the ninety first day without payment.”  
“It was?”  
Odo knelt down beside the guy. “Yes. I can make this quick, or I can make it hurt.”  
The man squirmed in pain and tried to kick back. “No, you see my wife was supposed to make that last payment. I - I can’t go back through surgery.”  
Odo pushed him down fully and rolled him onto his front. He was crying now. Too much moving. “Then you shouldn’t leave such serious finances in the hands of other people.”

He screamed out as Odo cut into him and severed the necessary chord to make this quick.

While he was crying and bleeding out, Odo pulled the organ into himself and brushed himself off. “For an additional, one-off payment, I can administer Zydrate, or for a slightly higher price, I can-”  
“FOR THE LOVE OF THE PROPHETS, JUST GIMME THE Z!”  
Odo pulled a small syringe out of nowhere and injected him in the first piece of bare flesh he could find. He put the dirty needle in a case and put that away too. “GeneCo will bill you directly. If you cannot pay this fee, further action will be taken against your case. Please read the terms and conditions provided in the document sent with the bill.” Odo tapped his badge. “Energise.” And he was gone.

The worst part of the job was the blood. He was sure of it. It gets everywhere. He’ll think he’s got it all, then touch something and find more. Disgusting.

Anyway, today's target was a Ferengi. Quark. His name was brought up by a suspected Zydrate user, and Odo has been tasked with checking him over for any illegal supply and distributing the necessary action.

Chapter 3

Kira’s room was more like a bunker. One way in, one way out. She’d dedicated years to learning anything and everything about this supposedly random organ failure. Along one of the walls, cut outs of planets, all interlinked with different Cardassians. Usually guls. Not all of them were well maintained, but some who rolled over to the Cardassian way of life, and GeneCo’s methods, began thriving. Bajor is not one of them.

At one end of the wall are the planets who are doing well, and at the other, the planets who crumbled. It’s people destitute. Bajor sits in the middle under Dukat.

She sits on the bed on the other side and looks for clues. She’s missing evidence. She just doesn’t know what evidence.

She’s done plenty of experiments. She’s got an entire diary documenting the effects of Z, its run time in your system, addiction rates and necessary dosage. She’s discovered works like any painkiller, simply turning off pain receptors, but it considers emotional pain, social pain and similar feelings as pain, and knows how to stop it. Length depends on the person. Some can stay numb for weeks, while others barely get a few hours depending on their size, pain tolerance and damage.

She hangs her head. She knows all this. What she needs is evidence Cardassia is responsible. Not like it just shouldn’t be common knowledge. Maybe someone would do something if the population knew they’d been swindled. Or maybe it’ll be too late, and their dependence on Z and GeneCo will be too strong. Without them Z will be harvested only from the dead, and organs will all be back alley surgeries.

What she’s missing is direct correlation. No speculation. No room for error. She needs to go to GeneCo. But how?

She pulls a padd over and starts sketching ideas up. She promises herself, it’ll be worth it.

Chapter 4

Quark casually wanders to a mass grave, bag over his shoulder and locked box inside. He can see some of the local residents watching him. He’s been doing this long enough to know how NOT to arouse suspicion and pull some flowers. If anyone asks, he’s here to mourn. Not a complete lie. He knew some of these people. Which also means he knows which ones have still got Z in them.

The grave was more like a cave where bodies are rolled into heaps along the walls. This used to make him feel woozy. Dead people stink. They’re unhygienic. There are usually bits missing. Not always from GeneCo. No, such as the lady with different eyes, her’s came from here. The problem with that is the body doesn’t always accept a real organ and complications can arise.

What he’s looking for is either people he knew, people with a missing organ, or the tell tale signs of drug abuse, like scratch marks on their arms.

Found one. Quark knocks the pile down and retrieves a small device from the bag and jams it into their midriff. He’s aiming for the liver. That's the part of the body that handles poisons and drugs, and the part that collects the most of it. Of course his little device will suck every juice out of them and separate the good bit from the excess. All he’s got to go to hide the vials in the locked box and keep his little device a secret. If everyone had one, he would be out of business before he could say ‘oops’.

He keeps a look out while his newest corpse provides his latest stock. It's not noisy, but it stinks, and it's not very conspicuous. A Ferengi sat next to a body with a box and pipe sticking out of it can’t really be explained. Not like any dependant person would ask what he’s up to, or draw attention to him. They just need to concern themselves with getting the money to pay for his hard work. The only other way to get it is another run in with GeneCo, and that only gets you in further debt.

From the mouth of the cave, a tall figure stands. Quark squints against the light and can see his belt. “Oh no.”  
“Are you Quark?” he calls.  
“Depends who’s asking. I don’t owe anyone anything, so -”  
Odo steps forward. “I’m not here to collect. You’ve been mentioned during the confessions of a known user as a grave robber, and here I find you in a mass grave. In accordance with the law, you will be asked to explain why you were associated in such-” Quark is getting bored already. “-a damning manor, or hand over your current supply with no more action against you than a warning. Any noncompliance on your part-”  
Quark stands up and stops him. “Listen guy, you’re giving me earache. Just cut to the chase.”

Odo nods. “Fess up or this is going to hurt.”  
Quark nods. “That’s more my language. But I’m sorry to disappoint. I’m here grieving, and I was probably mentioned in some effort to name someone as a scapegoat.”  
“Scapegoat?”  
“Yeah, they pick on the poor Ferengi because it’s believable. And look, you’ve fallen for it.”  
Odo pulls a tricorder from his belt. “Are you willing to testify to that?”  
“Whacha got there?” Quark gets nervous.  
“This will detect any exposed Zydrate in a 10 meter radius. We’ve found graverobbers …” Odo gives him a warning look. “Don’t use the proper method of storage and thus contaminates nearby surfaces and skin.”

Quark starts backing up. “Is that so?”  
Odo steps forward. “Are you sure you’re just here visiting the deceased?” Odo gives him one last chance of being cooperative.   
Quark moves away from the body he’s harvesting from and his bag. He just prays it's not on his hands. “I swear, I’m innocent.” Quark was now trying to figure out which of his clients ratted him out.  
Odo backs Quark into a corner. The scan knows Zydrate is in the area and is struggling to find any in, or on the Ferengi. The lowers the scanner below his belt and it beeps. 

Odo just gives him a look. “Really?”  
Quark shrugs. “I don’t judge your personal life.”  
Odo looks disgusted with the little man. “This is evidence you’ve been in contact with a user. The evidence is slowly piling against you, Quark.”  
Quark raises his hands. “Not enough for a conviction.”  
Odo puts the scanner away. 

As Odo turns to look for evidence.  
Quark panics momentarily. “Ur, officer. Isn’t it against regulations to disturb graves?”  
Odo doesn’t look at him, still on a mission. “It is.”  
“Then what are you looking for if you can’t touch the bodies?”  
“I’m looking for already disturbed bodies. Grave robbers have a nasty habit of leaving evidence.” Odo hisses out.  
“Well, even if grave robbers have been here, you can’t link it to me.”  
Odo continues to wander. “No, but they might give me better leads.”

Quark looks for a distraction.  
Odo gets there first. “Strange that you know GeneCo regulation.” He spots Quark's bag.  
Quark follows him. “I like to know my rights, and what NOT to do. Failure is the greatest teacher, but also the harshest.”  
Odo kneels by his bag and snaps it open. “I find failure to be evidence of failed teachings.”  
Quark watches him rummage through his bag. “But what if you’ve never done it, and you need teaching?”

Odo pulls the locked box out of the bag. “One cannot expect success if they are uneducated on a subject. Failure would imply they expected perfection before they were prepared for success.”  
Quark’s starting to really hate this guy. “What’ve you found?”  
“Evidence. I’m going to confiscate it. Maybe run it through analysis for fingerprints and DNA.”  
Quark tenses. “You don’t even know what’s in there.”  
Odo smirks at him. “Shall we find out together?”  
Quark is sure he’s done for. Not right now, but soon. “Why not?” He says sarcastically.

Odo turns his fingers to goo and breaks the number lock from inside out. Quark’s mouth drops. Odo nonchalantly opens it. “Ah. Look at that.”  
Quark looks more surprised than Odo. “Wow. You’re very good at your job.”  
“Hm. I feel bad for this guy.” He closes it and carries it off.  
“Hey, where are you going?”  
Odo stands in the mouth of the cave. “To get a warrant for your arrest. Energise.”  
And Odo beams away. Quark can’t decide if he needs to relax or panic more.

He collects his device that Odo didn’t see, unless he did and left it on purpose, and goes over what Odo just taught him. The vials aren’t completely leak proof. Saliva leaves trace amounts of Z. Someone ratted him out. Odo has his stash. Maybe he needs to stop leaving all his eggs in one basket.

Chapter 5

Odo stands in GeneCo. Dukat stands by his side. They’re watching the lab do their bit. Catching misusers is just as important as providing the service in the first place. No other business would accept robbery, but not all businesses are lucky enough to enforce their own law to stop it.

“And you say the Ferengi played dumb for whole encounter?” Dukat asks.  
Odo remained as still as a statue. “Quark denied all accounts and even knew the law well enough to avoid detection even while being caught red handed.”  
“If he was so red handed, why didn’t you arrest him?”  
Odo didn’t move. “Because he’s going to lead us to the rest of them.”  
Dukat was interested now. “The rest of them?”

Odo recites information like it's coming from a manual. “Grave robbers have clients. Clients who become dependent on them. If they lose their income, they lose their loyalty. Word spreads fast that Quark is being watched. The other dealers will scatter. We just need to see what direction they’re running in.”  
Dukat smiles. “And you honestly think they’ll overreact so badly that they’ll signal us?”  
“Like a beacon sir. Innocent people don’t run. He knows that, but I doubt all of them do.”

A Cardassian scientist comes out from the lab. “Sir, we got Quark’s fingerprints on every single vial, and several traces of Bajoran DNA on the box.”  
Dukat pat Odo on the shoulder. “I want a confession, and I want names, Odo. Don’t come back until that entire province is clear of disturbed graves.”  
“I’ll need a team of interrogators. Quark's clients will be more likely to talk than Quark himself. Quark is MY responsibility now.”  
Dukat nods. “This case is all yours.”

As Odo disappears down a corridor, Dukat is approached by one of his Bajoran secretaries. “Sir, you’ve got a visitor. A Kira Nerys. Apparently you knew her mother?”  
Dukat lights up. “Kira?”

Meanwhile, back on Bajor. Quark is putting a plan together. He sits by a makeshift communicator while his housemates are in full blown panic mode.  
“We’re all going down for this!” One cries.  
“What are we going to do?” The other paces and scratches her arms.  
Quark shushes them. “Don’t worry. I got connections. I gotta lay low and you all need to get the hell out of here. I know some people you can stay with who can give you work and keep you topped up until that fuckin’ freak leaves me alone.”

They slowly start to calm down. Quark takes his ear piece out. “Best case scenario, we get some reinforcement. Worst case scenario, I’m cut out of the underground.” He turns to face his small gang. “Lets see. It takes nearly two hours to get to Terok Nor, Maybe an hour to run my box through the system, another hour to get a team together, give or take, and another 2 hours to get back here. That doesn’t give us much time.” Quark puts his face in his hands.

His girl with different eyes joins him. “What if your contacts don’t come?”  
“You’ll just have to go to them.”

Meanwhile, Odo stands on the transport with his 4 Cardassian soldiers. “Your mission, for the last time, is to apprehend the users and separate them. Stay away from the Zydrate itself. Contamination is very serious. Once you have a suspect in custody, stay with them, and remain silent. I, and I alone am going for Quark. He’s going to lead us to the others.”

Quark and friends haul the transmitter he used to contact help, up to the roof. They drag it along and push it off. Watching every piece of it smash. Quark doesn’t plan on letting GeneCo follow his leads.

The team looked down to see the tell-tale lights of beaming. “They’re ahead of schedule.”  
“What do we do?!”  
“Run.”

Odo boots the door down. His entourage stormed it and immediately started stunning the fleeing Z-users. Odo took his time, taking in the information around him. The place was filthy. The stairs were just ladders. There were 2 mattresses and 2 couches being used as sleeping areas. Most of the windows were broken. There's no running water. Electricity is faulty. It’s a wonder no one has died of anything else. 

Through the crying and begging, the screaming and kicking, Odo makes it to the roof. He follows the huge scrape marks to the edge, only to find a recently destroyed communicator. These junkies aren’t smart enough to cover their tracks. That's Quark's job. Which means he’s close. 

The nearest buildings are within jumping distance, but still, that's an awful long way for such short legs. On the other side of the roof, a pulley system. Odo tugs at it. Strong enough to carry a person easily. He’s definitely running. Odo steps back a few, runs forward and shifts into a large bird. Taking to the skies with ease.

Quark has run to his second hideout. If anyone’s coming to save his clients, this is where they'll find him. 

Chapter 6

Odo has flown over the entire city. So far no movement. The search will be coming to a stop soon.

Then he spots someone running away from Quark’s den. Odo shifts and follows in the form of a street cat. 

The suspect moves a vent out of the way and slides in, covering his tracks as he goes. Odo waits just a minute before following and reforming as himself.

“Surprise.” A familiar voice coos.  
“Quark?” As he turns to the voice, something in the dark lunges at him, catches them and fights them off, only for someone else to stab him in the shoulder. He throws the first assailant to the ground and swings around to take out the second.

Now he can see them, neither of them is Quark. “You’re both under arrest for the assult and or attempted murder of an officer.”

“Now, now, Odo. They were just trying to even the odds.” Quark again.  
Odo looks around for him, but he still can’t see him. “Come quietly, and no one else has to get hurt.”  
“Ooh.. see, the problem there, is that you’ve got no evidence, you’ve got no back up, and .. I think it should be kicking in now.”  
“Kicking in …?” Odo’s world just slowed down. He’s not angry. He’s not enthused. He’s not energetic. He’s focused, but tired. It’s like he’s in a dream. He feels invincible, but so lethargic. He knows Quark is right there, but doesn’t have it in him to reach out and arrest him.

Quark hops into the light and wanders freely around Odo. Odo wobbles and struggles to focus on Quark.

“Now here's the deal, constable” Quark starts. “I recommend you keep GeneCo off my turf, or I’m going to have to get very serious in my business practice.”   
Odo opens his mouth to speak, but can’t focus enough to bring himself to speak.  
Quark continues. “And I’m a Ferengi. We’re not exactly violent people, but you’re a well-read guy, you probably know that.”  
Odo still isn’t sure how to answer.  
“Really, your people and my people are different sides of the same coin. You keep them alive, I keep them hooked on YOUR drug. Really, I’m doing you a favour.”  
Odo musters up words. “You’re a criminal.”  
“I’ve never hurt anyone. But you, you’re a monster.”  
“Me?”

Quark pushes him down with ease. Odo hits the ground and struggles to keep his shape.  
Quark bobs down to his level. “I stop people suffering. You cause the suffering. I give them work. You take their money. I don’t discriminate. You target people who turned to you for aid, for support, for a new chance at life. Tell Dukat I’m dead, or this one is on your head.” Quark walks away.

Odo still can’t feel. His body is moving but it’s numb. He doesn’t have any nerves, but even then he could feel the texture of the floor, or his uniform, or feel how level the ground is. Right now, none of his senses are working in coordination. He feels like he’s floating, or sinking. 

He just let a perp escape, and he can’t even get off the floor. But the problem is that he doesn’t care. He can’t chase after him. He doesn’t want to. He can’t. He doesn’t want to complete his mission. He just wants to float here, in the quiet, alone, for as long as it lasts.

Chapter 7

Dukat is furious. “Odo, I expect better from you!”  
Odo rakes his finger nails along his arm. “I know sir.”  
“Then do you mind explaining why Quark is still on the loose?”  
“I was ambushed, sir. My report clearly states-”  
“I don’t want your excuses. I want results. You claimed responsibility for him, and yet here you are empty handed.”

Odo considers breaking Dukat's face and just leaving him a bloody mess.  
Then thinks about just telling him the truth, but that would mean he’d have to admit to being drugged. Maybe that would help his case. Quark is obviously more dangerous than they originally anticipated, but Odo refuses to be outsmarted by a Ferengi.

Not to mention his rule about giving his accused the benefit of the doubt. They already hate that he talks to them. Odo stands by his method.

“I - I was drugged sir. The Ferengi hit me with the Zydrate and warned me not to try again.”  
Dukat sat down. “Are you seriously accepting defeat from a graverobbing, drug dealing, Ferengi running a whore house?!”  
“No sir. I just fear that they’ll try again. If myself or any other officers are attacked like that again, we will become addicts ourselves, or succumb to infection, or be left helpless at the hands of such criminals.” Odo remains neutral.

Dukat sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “Biological warfare.”  
Odo has been trying to think of a plan since, but everytime he goes over the events, he thinks about being spaced out, and how much he wants to go back there.

“Any suggestions, Odo?”  
“ … I was thinking we would cut their supply by burning the bodies in the graves.”  
Dukat thinks it over. “An efficient solution, but not our style. I don’t want it to get to that stage.”  
Odo scratches himself harder. “Sir, if I were you, I’d be prepared to quarantine your soldiers. If this new defense takes off, repo men and officers alike will be attacked through the drug itself. Those who make it back will need their addictions breaking ASAP.”  
Dukat sighs. “I don’t see any alternative. We must adapt and overcome.”  
“Right.”  
“Odo, I want that Quark out of the picture, and I want more security on the graves, understood?”  
“Understood.”  
“Dismissed.”

As Odo leaves, a new Bajoran woman sits at his secretary's desk. She spots him, and ignores him. He turns away from her. It's not like Dukat’s thing for Bajoran women is a secret to anyone. It’s not even as though the man is fussy. If it’s Bajoran, and female, it’ll do.

Odo wanders back to his room and locks himself in. He runs over to the sink and tries to separate himself from the ooze in his system. It’s painful. Once the numbness has subsided, it makes tolerable pain intolerable. He doesn't know how much they injected into him, or what dosage was necessary to put him on his ass, but he knows it fucking hurts now.

He grips his hair and shakes in front of the mirror. Quark will pay for this. He just needs to kick the addiction first, then bring down the whole market kicking and screaming, just like all of the criminals.

Chapter 8

It’s been a week since the Quark incident. Odo hasn’t left his room. Quark’s still on the loose. Dukat can see the numbers rising and he doesn’t like it. He taps his fingers against his desk and considers his options. Usually he’d turn to Odo for suggestions, but currently Odo is out of operation. 

“Mrs Kira. Do you have a moment.”  
Kira answers through the com. “It’s ‘Miss’.”  
“Oh, a lovely lady such as yourself ….”  
Kira knows this is a leading question. “You already knew I was single sir, I put it on my resume.”  
Dukat smiles to himself. “Is that attitude I hear?”  
“No sir, simply stating facts. That’s my job.”  
Dukat put his feet up. “I’d be very happy to hear more facts. Maybe outside of your job?”  
She pulled a face at the com. “No thank you sir. I like to keep my personal life and work life separate.”

Dukat feels himself getting giddy. “Then let's have dinner and discuss work. I’ll try not to bore you with all the details about surgery and repo men and this damn Zydrate crisis happening, I promise.”  
Kira sees an opportunity. “You know what? I’ve always actually been fascinated by medical science. It's why I applied to work here.”  
Dukat lit up. “Then tonight, I’d be very happy to pick you up and you can choose where we go.”  
Kira played it safe. “Oh, anywhere Bajoran will do me. I don’t like to stay out late.”  
“Of course, I understand. No late days and or leaving early for you. You must have a very strict routine.”  
“Very, yeah, I gotta keep up my good reputation and look after myself.”  
“And rightly so, but tonight, I’ll pick you up at about 8?”  
“Perfect.”  
“Excellent”

Kira gave herself a mini fist pump. 

Dukat shuddered with anticipation.

Meanwhile, Odo paces in his room. The walls have claw marks. The floor is torn up. Even the ceiling isn’t unscathed. Nearly everything in here is in tatters. He’s even torn himself apart a few times only to put himself back together in just as much pain as he was to begin with. 

He never understood why they screamed when they hurt, but he does now. It's an outlet. It's a primitive warning to others that danger has found them. It's a cry for help. It’s an animal's way of begging for sympathy. 

Odo uses the shards of his room to scratch himself. He doesn’t bleed like them. He doesn’t scream. 

The only reason he hasn’t just walked out and given himself a dose, is the thin string that makes him remember he’s better than them. He didn't put himself in this situation. And he’s still going to beat it. If not as an example to the cretins on Bajor, but to wipe the smug self-righteous grin off Quark’s face. No matter what it takes.

Meanwhile, Quark has upgraded. The vials are no longer glass in a wooden box, but metal canisters. The canister goes in a gun like shape and uses compressed air to release small doses without actually injecting a person, or spreading infection. 

The next issue that needed solving was procuring bodies. Graves were now off limits, except once a week, when he shows up with flowers and restricts himself to an hour of draining bodies and bringing the goo back to process in his own time. It's messy, but it’s fast. 

He’s also found several hiding spots across the city, each with a different type of lock and only a few doses in each. If any are found, they won’t get in, and even if they do, he’s lost no profit.

Finally, he’s preparing for Odo to show up again. This is war and Quark is armed to the teeth. He knows the law. Odo can’t do shit until he has direct evidence of grave robbing, or distribution of the Z. So far Odo has none. If he ever comes back, he needs a damn good reason to stay away.

Chapter 9

Odo has recovered. It was the worst thing he’s ever gone through, and his journey has been sent to Mora for research purposes. He hates that man, but if there's some good that can come of this, he trusts Mora to be the one to find it. 

He marches to Dukat’s office, only to find Dukat flirting with the new receptionist.  
“Ahem?”  
Dukat notices him. “Odo, have you met Kira?”  
“No, sir.”  
Kira nods at him. Odo nods back.

Odo hands a padd to Dukat. “It took 2 weeks of psychological toture and pain like nothing I’ve ever experienced but I no longer crave Zydrate. Here are my recommendations in regard to our own soldiers being exposed to it.” Odo pulls a second padd out of nowhere. “And this is my battle plan for Quark.”

Kira reads it alongside Dukat. Odo notices but says nothing.

“Odo, this is some very serious stuff.”  
“This is a very serious matter. I wouldn’t wish what I just went through on my worst enemy, never mind innocents. If we can make an example of him, we can end any more grave robbing, cut overdoses down and stop any future attacks on our own.”  
Kira chimes in. “But it’s okay to remove organs from us?”  
Odo frowns. “Payment plans are based on one's own income and speed of payments. If one cannot follow their own agreed terms, how can they be expected to follow any other rules.”  
“Well said, Odo.” Dukat praises.

Kira interrupts again. “Did it ever occur to you that there might be a safe way to do it? Or even a less painful way?”  
Odo rolls his eyes. “They are always offering Zydrate after surgery, but not all can afford it.”  
Kira looks at him in disbelief.  
Dukat jumps in. “Kira, if you have a suggestion …”  
“Actually, I do.” She says with a smug grin plastered all over her face.  
Odo twitches with rage.

Later

Odo sits as a large bird in a tree. He’s so humiliated. Being told how to do his job by a receptionist. This is why he doesn’t do relationships. They get in the way with work. Dukat doesn’t realise he’s being manipulated, but if he tries to tell him that, Odo will get the ‘Have you ever been in love?’ speech. It makes Odo wretch. All these emotions and absurd behaviours because he thinks he has a chance at bedding her.

Odo only winds himself up further thinking about that part. What is the solid’s obsession with sex? Why do they feel it is so necessary to stick things in other things? It's disgusting. And it comes with the risk of reproducing. Who wants to add more people to this unhygienic, crime infested, disease ridden world?

Then he spots his target. He flies down and stops right in front of her. She yelps in surprise. Odo holds his hand out and shushes her.  
“I’m with GeneCo. The records say you are on the 90th day without payment?”  
The woman goes from scared to confused. “No, my husband is supposed to be paying that.”  
Odo groans slightly. “I’m sorry to say he’s not been keeping payment and I have come to return the organ.”  
The woman panics slightly. “What, no. You can’t do that. I’m pregnant.”

Odo freezes up. Then groans even louder. While the woman is still scared and confused, he pulls a tricorder out of nowhere to check she’s not lying.   
“Great.” He says sarcastically. “More paperwork.”  
“What?” She says, still confused.  
Odo explain. “Your record claims your womb was what they replaced, however you were made aware that missing your 90 day payment plan would result in you losing said organ, yes?”  
“Yes?”  
“But now I have an innocent to consider. Which puts me in a very difficult spot.”

The woman looks around nervously. “I - I was expecting you to just … kill her?”  
“No, I have a rule about keeping innocents out of it.” Odo considers. “How long until term?”   
“Ur … maybe 10 weeks?”  
“Perfect. One moment.” Odo taps his badge with a smug smile on his face. “Odo to Kira.”

Kira answers. “Kira here. How’d it go?”  
Odo grins to himself. “It hasn’t yet. She’s 28 weeks pregnant.”  
“WHAT!”  
Odo looks at his nails and hums. “Hm .. Looks like you have a choice to make for her. I do things your way right now and terminate the child-”  
“Don’t you dare!”  
“-Or we give her a premature child and take the womb, putting her in further debt.” Odo has never looked more proud of himself

Kira grumbles to herself.

Odo continues. “Unless of course you think I should save the child, take the organ and leave her, as I planned on doing? … before you changed my system.”  
Kira smacks the console. “You son of a bitch. You’re enjoying this!”  
Odo laughs. “No. I’m just doing my job, as instructed by YOU.”  
The pregnant woman raised her hand. “I’m sorry, I’m confused.”  
Odo turns to her. “Kira wants repo men to start doing this painlessly, but by doing so, your child won’t survive, which means you’re either going to have to pay for more medical support, or deal with the old fashioned way.”

The woman looks torn. “So, to save my little girl, I need to pay GeneCo to induce birth so they can take my womb, Or you can just cut her out and take it?”  
Odo nods. “Basically. But KIRA … -”  
“Oh shut your mouth shifter, I’m trying to do the right thing.”   
Odo talks to Kira. “Have you been living under a rock? There is no RIGHT thing. Just legal and illegal.”  
The pregnant woman speaks again. “Can I get a dose of Z if I go for the cheaper method?”  
“It’ll cost, but be significantly cheaper, yes.”  
Kira is still screaming at him. “ODO, don’t you dare!”  
“Goodbye Kira.” He turns his badge off.

Kira looks at Dukat. He remains neutral in all of this.  
“And how can you just sit there while people are getting butchered on the streets?!”  
Dukat shrugs. “They know what they’re signing up for.”  
Kira storms out to calm down.

Chapter 10

Quark's little empire has expanded. His clients are now bringing him bodies before taking them to the grave. The hypo he invented is also doing wonders for his reputation. It won't be long before Odo shows up, he just knows it.

Meanwhile, Odo arrives back on Terok Nor. He walks straight through to storage and produces a heart. The Cardassian gives him a look. “That receptionist is still giving you shit?”  
“What gave it away? My ‘laser scalpel’, or Dukat sending me missions a child could complete?”  
The Cardassian woman laughs. “You never caught that Quark guy did ya?”  
“Ergh… I need a reason to go after him. He’s going to be a huge drain on resources, but I can’t imagine Ferengi organs sell well.” He smiles at her.  
She banters back. “I hear the opposite. Little bastards are immune to basically everything. Including Zydrate.”

Odo frowns. “Then how do they tolerate pain?”  
She shrugs. “Badly. Their liver is super effective. They’re not immortal, but they’re sturdy, and it’s good for business.”  
Odo suddenly needs to edit his plan. Ferengi must have a weakness. Something he can use and still make the most of him. Quark will be an example to the rest of Bajor.

Meanwhile, Kira sits on the edge of Dukat’s desk.  
He leans back, probably as an attempt to look up her skirt. “You know, it’s been so long since we’ve had a new perspective, I may as well have been talking to a mirror.”  
She fake giggles. “Oh, but you have Odo. Surely he counts?”  
Dukat falls for it. “Oh, he’s excellent at his job, but he sticks to the book. He’d never suggest anything so controversial.”   
Kira swaps her legs over. Dukat’s eyes glance down for a split second. “Would you accept radical change from Odo, though?”  
“Odo? Radical? That’s nonsense.”

Then Odo burst in. “Sir, excuse my intrusion - Oh you’re still here.”  
Kira grins at him.  
Odo scowls then keeps talking. “Sir, I think I know how to get to the Ferengi.”  
“Well, that’s excellent. What do you need?”  
“Lots of disposable men, and a much stronger version on Zydrate.”  
Dukat blinks. “What?”  
“We’re going to storm him and beam him back onto a ship and tear him apart right here on the station, but he’s had time to plan, which means he’ll be ready for us. He can’t overdose, but his team mates can. I plan on using his own tactic against him and winning.”

Kira scoffs. “Surely that’s against the books?”  
Dukat lights up. “Done. You’re responsible for getting all these men back.”  
“Have enough quarantine rooms ready for the whole team.”  
Kira panics. “You can’t be serious?”  
“Deadly serious.”  
Dukat waves Odo off. Odo gives Kira one last winning smile before he skips out.

*

Later, Odo stands before the men. “I’ll be honest. I’m not expecting a single one of you to come out of this without being hit by Zydrate, but please keep your masks on. Team A, You’ll need to surround the building. You’ll be responsible for incapacitating any that try to escape. Team B, you’re the first to enter and I expect gas. Lots of it. Once they’re down, knock them out and take them to team A. DO NOT destroy any evidence.”

The teams nod.

Quark saw the flash of beaming happen in the corner of his eye. “ITS SHOW TIME PEOPLE!” He calls. The random Bajorans smash everything.  
The rest collect their weapons.

Odo signals. The gas canisters are thrown and team B burst in. Even through the clouds, something, someone is firing something.

A few people climb out of the windows. Team A stun and collect them.

From the ship, Odo can’t get a signal. That means he needs to beam down and do it manually. He swallows his fear of this damn drug and beams in. 

Most of team B are down. Most of them had had their masks pulled down. The others are missing pieces of their armour. Odo tries to look through the gas, but it’s too thick.  
“This floor is clear, sir.”  
Odo agrees. “The roof. If he’s there, don’t let him move.”  
The soldier nods and the rest of the group follow. Odo looks around for evidence. Smashed up glass, bodies everywhere, filth. Quark’s been busy building by the looks of things.

The shots stop. The armour stops moving. Odo makes his way up the ladders. 

Laid in a pile of pillows, Quark waits provocatively. 

3 soldiers on one side, Odo in the middle, 2 soldiers on the other, and even more soldiers on the ground, Quark is completely surrounded, but shows no fear. 

“Give it up Quark. You’re being charged on suspicion of distribution of Zydrate and grave robbing.”  
“You brought more Zydrate to me today, than I’ve ever seen in my life.”  
“Is that a confession?”  
“No” Quark scoffs.  
“Then I don’t care.” Odo marches up and grabs him by the arm. Quark takes a feral bite out of him. Odo doesn’t let go, but Quark starts giggling like a maniac.

Odo just realised why he’s laughing. “Not again.” 

Quark pulled himself to a standing position and pulled a gun, holding Odo hostage.

Odo slowly falls weak and hits the ground.

The soldiers waited, but Odo wasn’t getting back up.

Quark continued to use Odo a shield. “Tell Dukat to stop sending police, or every single one of your little tyrannical dictatorship will be dealing with withdrawal, over and over and over again.”

The guards look at Odo. He can’t shift or he’ll melt. He can’t speak. He’s just convulsing on the floor.

Quark continues. “Try and beam me, and I’ll blow his brains out.”

The guards slowly back up. Team A takes their prisoners. Team B carry their fallen brethren and energise, leaving Quark and Odo on the roof together.

Chapter 11

Quark has built a small bonfire on the roof. Odo is still completely out of it. He’s thinking clearly but he’s not thinking like himself.

“Quark?” he whimpers out.  
“Uh huh?” Quark is preoccupied with roasting something on the fire.  
“Why?”  
“Why what?”  
Odo doesn’t have it in him to ask why he’s being held here. He just wants it to be over so he can go back to Terok Nor and suffer all over again. He remembers how much it hurt. How he felt so awful for every person he’s ever cut open. But right now he doesn't even have any self preservation, never mind concern for other people. 

Why would anyone pay to feel like this? He knows why. Because it’s addictive, and they’ll go through the withdrawal if they don’t. Right now, both options look equally awful, but he knows that won't be the case later.

Odo gives in and melts into a puddle.  
Quark laughs “Freaky. I like it.” He throws a nearby pebble at Odo.  
Odo can’t even bring himself to stop him. He’ll just wait until morning and see what they’ve done to him.

Morning.

Odo slowly rebuilds himself. He’s still slow, but he can feel now. That's better than nothing. Another point is that he’s alive and all in one piece. There’s nothing stopping him from flying away and going back to Terok Nor. 

Maybe Odo can still finish this mission. Collect the evidence to prove Quark guilty and get him the hell out of here. He slowly peeks down the ladder hole.  
“Morning officer!”  
“Fuck.”  
“We made breakfast. You want any?”  
Odo didn’t move, “I don’t eat.”  
“Like you can’t or won't?”  
“Can’t.”  
“Boy that must suck. You wanna meet the crew?”  
Odo really wanted to fly off, but it’s better that he just assess his options first. “Are you armed?”  
“What kind of question is that? If we wanted you dead, you’d be dead by now.”

Odo fell to the same floor as Quark. Several men and women lounge about. ‘Damn degenerates. Get jobs.’ He thinks.

Quark is eating something, casually sitting on a mattress against a wall.  
Odo can see the new set up. Glass bottles and pipes and pumps on the table.   
Quark laughs. “What are you gonna do? Arrest me?”  
Odo looks around. There's definitely a catch. “I will get out of here, Quark and when I do-”  
“Oh, go for it. Door’s right there.” Quark takes another bite.  
Odo is still confused. “Excuse me?”  
“Go have your two weeks off, I’ll be right here when you get back, and we can do it all over again.”

Odo just figure it out. Quark’s found a winning strategy. Odo is back on the Zydrate while Quark is free to do as he pleases.  
“Currently, I’m a walking biohazard.” Quark says, trying to break the silence.  
“Explain.”  
“Please.”  
“What?”  
“Say please.”  
Odo hesitates. “Explain, please.”

Quark smiles and gets up to show him the set up. “So after your little scanner caught someone else's DNA, it occurred to me that I can carry it in my system, totally immune to the effects, but I can also transfer it. The same way it was transferred to me.”

Odo was still feeling fuzzy, but even in this state, he knows that's just evil. 

“Of course, the dose isn’t nearly as high as with a hypo, but you did gas the place with a much stronger dose anyway.” Quark laughs.

Odo is far from laughing. “You called me a monster .. but this-”  
“Oh you can’t pull that card anymore. After the atrocities you’ve caused, you do not have the right to call me out for defending these people.”  
Odo clenched his fist. “Defend? You’re not defending anything but your own profits. At least I belong to something-”  
“Yeah, you belong to a facist organization that prays on the sick and dying, then kills them anyway when they’ve got their money!”  
Odo stands tall and proud. “Don’t take things you can’t afford. You wouldn’t deal with these people if you had nothing to give.”

Quark smiled. “I can and I do.”  
“You’re disgusting.”  
“I’m working with what I got.”  
Odo gets a good look at every single face in here. No one seems afraid of him. Some of these people he’s collected from. It doesn’t feel good. He can see their scars. He can feel their hatred for him. He hates these feelings. 

Quark grins at him.

Odo decides he needs to get out of here before it’s too late. He knows what happened last time and he needs to lock himself up before it’s too late.

He taps his badge. “Odo to Terok Nor.”  
No one answers.  
Quark whispers. “You might be out of range without a computer to boost your signal.”  
“Fuck it. I’ll fly.” Odo shifts and flies out the hole to the roof.

“Bye then?” Quark yells.

It took Odo half the day to travel though actual space, but he’s done it before. The first time was a shuttle accident. He survived the ship falling apart, then had to walk the rest of the way to Terok Nor to deliver the organ. The second time, Terok Nor needed evacuating due to some disease spreading. Odo just threw himself out of the station and flew to Bajor. Admitted, it takes a while, but he knows how to handle crashing through orbit and trying to get out of orbit. Not as if he has muscle that can get tired. Even though the pressure change is a bit of a throw.

Dukat paces in his office.  
Odo enters. “Sir.”  
“Odo, just the man I need to see.”  
“Sir, I’ve come to put myself back in Quarantine. Quark divulged-”  
“Odo, we just had all 20 officers come back yesterday, 12 of them are suffering withdrawal, one killed himself and Quark is still on the loose! Odo, this station needs you to keep doing your job, Quark or no Quark. They didn’t attack anyone until you went in, Zydrate ablazing, and I’m going to have to put someone else in charge until then.”

Odo’s mouth fell open. “Sir, I’m currently this station’s biggest security risk. If I decided to hurt someone because of withdrawal, I can’t be restrained.”  
Dukat shook his head. “This was your mission and your responsibility. If you can’t solve it, or become a hindrance to the company, we’ll have no choice but to let you go.”  
Odo frowned. “You’d fire me? For being drugged against my will?”  
“I don’t need excuses Odo. Quark was your problem and you failed.”

Another quick glimpse of anger in Odo’s eyes. It would be so easy to rip this man apart, but the problem is that Odo knows he’s right. He holds himself to the same standards as everyone else.   
“Yes sir.”

Chapter 12

Kira walked by Odo’s room. She can hear a repetitive banging sound. Something hitting the wall. These sounds aren’t uncommon any more, but the difference is that Odo can’t wait it out. He walks like a ghost, silent and focused. The slightest noise triggers him. She’s not actually sure how he’s holding up, but based on how the others are coping, not well.

She continues to walk. Today is a very big day. Dukat has asked her to visit the hospital side of the station. Since she’s so interested in medicine, Dukat has allowed her free reign under the condition she touch nothing. She can do that. She just needs pictures and some friendly chatter.

Meanwhile, Odo did his best to break his physical body, but the problem with being a liquid, is you’re already as numb as you’re going to get. There is no pain he can provide that will inebriate him for long enough to make him forget. It's only been a matter of days, and what hurts the most is that Quark is just sitting in his little crack den, getting away with it.

Odo never enjoyed his job, but it needed doing and he’s good at it. His piece of this puzzle wasn’t meant to go anywhere else. But no one is meant to be a criminal. Dukat doesn’t care how much he’s suffering, and to some degree, Odo blames himself, but there's always that inkling that he can blame Dukat for not having an antidote, or Quark for starting this war, or Kira for messing with Dukat’s head. He doesn’t trust her. Not one bit.

He knows she’s up to something, but any Bajoran who comes willing to sit on Dukat’s lap and play nice usually wants something. All Odo wants right now is a firm distraction. Reading doesn’t cut it. Shifting doesn’t cut it. Going to work only makes him feel worse, as if that were possible.

There's something heavy about causing pain that you can feel yourself. He feels sick to his stomach just thinking about these creatures. They see him coming, he confirms their sins and plays the prophet’s role in punishing them for it.

Odo tenses into a ball and tries to separate his own pain from theirs. There has to be a way out of this. Dukat won’t let him out. Kira enjoys seeing him suffer. Quark. Quark did this on purpose. He knew he’d break and repent. Odo fell hook line and sinker. He has a choice. To either play Quark’s game, or suffer with dignity.

Meanwhile, Kira collects pages of evidence explaining how the Z works to confirm against her own notes. She watches the machines build the organs. It's like a replicator, but the pattern is input by a data rod, which it reads and builds according to the instructions. She watches how the repossessed organs are collected and sterylised. They’re put in a special stage cupboard and organised by time of last use and body part.

This isn’t quite what she needs, but she’s happy to be here and seeing how these bastards are so efficient in making fresh and recycling repossessed organs. 

Kira searches for anything predating their occupation of the planet. Some shred of evidence that the Cardassians, and the sudden rise in organ failure correlate. She decides the lab isn’t deep enough. 

Chapter 13

Quark wanders through the slums. It's broad daylight, but that's the best time to meet. Cardassians don’t cope well so well in the glare of the sun. He’s on no mission. He just needs to get out of the den, maybe meet some people, pick up some supplies. Nothing devious. He currently feels untouchable. He likes the feeling of power running through his core right now. If this were some cheesy holomovie, he’d probably start singing.

That makes him laugh. Bursting into song and dance. How Human.

He skips through the streets and waves to his neighbours. Most of them spot him and wave back while doing their daily grind; moving bodies, upkeeping shops, making deliveries. Just another day in paradise.

“Odo, I can feel you following me.” He says to no one. His brisk step is still in full swing. 

A street cat evolves out of his stance and walks quickly alongside Quark. “We need to talk.”  
Quark keeps going. “Oh? What about?”  
Odo quickly grabs Quark by the collar and pushes him into an alleyway. Quark pulls a phaser, Odo shifts something sharp and presses it against his midriff.

The two stand like this for a few minutes.

“It’s not been two weeks.” Quark mentions.  
“My leave was not permitted.” Odo tells him.  
“Then I suppose you’ve come to arrest me?”  
“Are you going to drug me?”  
“What do you think’s in the gun?”  
Odo frowns. “This isn’t a real phaser?”  
“What? No. It’s hollowed out. It’s a chemical weapon now.”  
Odo sighs.   
Quark laughs. “So what can I do for you, officer?”  
“Bite me.”  
“Literally or figuratively?”  
“Literally.”  
“Sorry. I’m not carrying.”

Odo shifts the weapon away. Quark reholters his drug gun.  
“I don’t need a full dose, just enough to scratch the surface. I still need to function.”  
Quark taps his foot. “So let me get this straight. After you got back to GeneCo, you couldn’t quarantine, now you can’t do your job, so you’ve come to me for something GeneCo can give you?”

Odo shuffles. “It’s more complicated than that.”  
Quark works it out. “You wanna look like you beat it again, but you can’t while you’re still at work.”  
“It won't happen again. I just need to buy a watered down version to keep in my system until I can get back on leave.”  
Quark scoffs. “And why would I let you get away with continuing to murder people in my community?”  
Odo stepped in closer and whispered. “I can only choose assignments that would keep your income coming in, if you know what I mean?”

Quark smiles. “You’re going to target people I drain, so you can take your percentage. What happens when you decide to try and get clean?”  
Odo sinks. “I don’t know when that will be.”  
Quark smiles. “Let's consider this a ‘mutually beneficial agreement’?” He holds his hand out to shake.  
Odo swallows those feelings back down and accepts.  
Quark smiles harder. “We’re gonna need a few days to get the percentage right, but I think we can do it.”

Odo shifts and follows Quark back to the den. Quark shoo’s the rest of the addicts out and Odo shifts back.  
“So this here, is what separates the people goo, from the drugs. We use a system of chemicals and pumps to evaporate the organic material from the synthetic Zydrate components.”  
Odo looks at it. “And you think you can make a diluted version? Using the same method?”  
“Yeah, it just depends how weak you want it?”  
Odo struggles to explain. “I need my body to function, but my mind to go numb, however the two are interlinked, thus stopping one, stops the other.”

Quark looks confused. “How does that make any sense?”  
“Look, that strong version you bit me with was only a small dose, but it completely wiped me out. In theory, a weak dose semi regularly should be enough to leave me mobile, but mentally anesthetized.”  
Quark nods. “And how will you be paying for this?”  
“As if your little deal won’t bring you in enough profit.”  
Quark folds his arms.  
Odo caves. “What are the going rates?”  
Quark unfolds his arms. “Depends.”  
“On what?”  
“What you can afford.”  
Odo huffs. “I’m not exactly strapped for cash so don’t try anything.”  
Quark smiles even harder. “That’s … what I needed to hear.”

Chapter 14

Kira struts down the hall. Not a single pair of eyes missed her. That was the point after all. The heels gave her height, the dress left her shoulders bare, the lipstick made a complimentary contrast to her skin. Dukat simply cannot miss the signs now.

She makes herself comfortable at her desk and gets to organising his busy day.

The com beeps. “Kira, would you mind coming in?”  
“Right on it sir.”

Dukat didn’t try to hide his wandering eyes. Kira let him inspect her. “You called me in sir?”  
He shook his head. “Indeed, I did. Since Odo is currently busy, I thought we could discuss …. A few predicaments?”

She played it casual. “Of course sir. Which predicaments are we discussing?” She went through the very long list of problems with this brutal system in her head. Everything from the deaths surrounding infection and disease, to the deaths caused by repo men. She was mad about his laid back attitude toward suffering, not just against her people, but his own. Several soldiers have taken their own lives because they couldn’t cope being without the Z. Z which they could rehabilitate them from. They live in a fuckin hospital!

Dukat stood and wandered around his office. “This Quark business…” He circled her. “I just know Odo isn’t going to let it go. I agree that we can’t give way to terrorism, but is this fight really worth the cost?” He asks.  
It took a lot of effort not to answer honestly. “If we knew more about his operation, it would be easy to make those calculations, but there are too many variable and interpretive costs.”  
“Interpretive?”  
She stood proud and explained. “We can work out the financial cost of fighting Quark, but how does one decide the worth of a life. Is Odo worth more because of his success, or his abilities? How many Cardassian repo men are worth killing 1 Ferengi grave robber?”

Dukat considered. “You know, your unique perspective is truly an eye opener. I could never discuss these matters with Odo like this.”  
She uses her leverage. “I think we need to talk more. Odo obviously needs some space right now, and I’d be very happy to provide you my counsel, as a Bajoran.”  
He smiles. “After such a successful last date, I’d be very happy to ask again.”  
“I’d be inclined to accept.” She gives him a flirtatious look.  
She can literally see his pupils dilate.

“Is that all I can do for now, sir?”  
“Yes .. Kira. You are dismissed”  
As she turns, she puts more sway into her hips and makes a show of smoothing the dress out to sit down.

This is coming to an end.

Meanwhile, Odo and Quark now have a system. Odo gets his minidose from Quark. Odo then reveals his next target and takes his sweet time ripping them apart while he’s numbed out. Quark can then drain the body of any drugs left in and Odo can hand GeneCo their organs back.

Odo flies in through the hole in the roof and parks himself on the couch. It still makes him wince to think of all the bodily fluids this couch has endured. Quark mixes him his new concoction.  
“How’s your morning been?” Quark says casually.  
Odo puts some of his own goo in a beaker. “Oh the usual. Dukat’s still following his dick and Kira is still trying to make my job humain.” Odo laughs. “I was thinking about trying to get my 2 weeks off somewhere nice, then realised how dangerous that would be to all the other guests.”  
Quark mixes Odo in with the drop of Z and waters the whole mess down. “Yeah, well, as long as the plan is still agreeable-”

Odo shushes him. “Of course we’re still on. As long as you hold up your end of the bargain.”  
Quark hands Odo the vial. “I promise, I’ll never drug you again.”  
Odo suck the liquid back up. “And I promise to cover your tracks.”  
Quark takes his glass back. “Today's victim?”  
“You know that old guy with the limp?”  
“Yeah. His entire large intestine - Oh! Well, glad it's you, not me.”  
“It’s all disgusting. I can’t discriminate.”

Quark ushers him toward the window. “If you can drop him somewhere quiet-”  
“I always do, Quark.” Odo shifts and flies out of the window.

Later, Kira is invited into Dukat’s room. She leads him on and plays hard to get. He seems to enjoy the chase. She invites herself into his office and gets a good look at every draw, locked cupboard, the potential keywords to access his console. 

He treats her to some excellent food. He can’t hold a conversation without it being about himself, but even that she uses to learn about him and what he’s capable of. Maybe she can get him to confess over dinner? No, too risky.

As it gets late and Dukat starts pushing his luck, she decides now is enough.  
“I’m sorry to say time has caught us up, and just when the conversation was getting interesting.” She coos.  
“You know Kira, I’m sure your routine could be held from my quarters?”  
“Such a kind offer, but I’m very particular. I just wont get a wink of sleep if I know I’m not in the right bed.”  
Dukat walks her backward. “Then maybe our next interpersonal encounter should be somewhere more comfortable for you..?”  
Kira slides out of his grasp. “Thank you, but no thank you. This evening has been splendid, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning.”

Dukat looks robbed, as she makes her way out of his room and waves him goodbye. Not even a peck on the cheek, or some flirtatious remark to keep him going. No promise of more to come.

Suddenly Dukat isn’t so sure about her.

Chapter 15

Odo clears his room and as requested, installs soundproofing. He literally trembles as he wanders to Dukat’s office. All his men are either dead or off the Zydrate which means there's space for him to take some time off and recover. He was serious about spending some time off the station, somewhere close by but only for a short time, until the withdrawal becomes serious, then he’ll probably be thankful to be back in his own room.

Outside his office, of course, Kira stares at her console, dressed less provocative than yesterday Odo notices. “He’s not in a good mood.” She says, still not looking at him.  
Odo scoffs. “As long as it's not my doing …”  
She rolls her eyes.  
He goes in.

“Sir?”  
Dukat is in his thinking pose. Feet up, mind elsewhere.  
“Do you have a moment?”  
Dukat doesn’t move. “I have all the time in the world.”  
“Then I’d like to discuss some matters with you. One of them being Quark.”  
Dukat’s eye shifted to Odo. “Another daring escapade, Odo?”  
“No sir. I’ve learned my lesson. But in regards to the last Quark endeavour, I’d like to organise 2 weeks leave, some of which I’ll be off the station.”  
Dukat was suddenly offended by the request. “Odo, after the catastrophe you left, I should be docking your wages and demoting you.”

Odo was taken aback by that. “Sir?”  
“Do you realise how serious this situation is? We have a terrorist on our doorstep who has SOMEHOW, killed some of our own highly trained officers. If we go after him, we lose more. If we let him go, he continues to grave rob!”  
Odo frowns. “Sir, with all due respect, you’re giving him too much credit. He’s not making a dint in our market and he’s only going to get killed by the next junkie who thinks he can take his spot. Quark should be the last of GeneCo’s concerns.”

Dukat stands. “What's the charge for grave robbing?”  
“A warning, then a high fine, then prison time.”  
“What about distributing Zydrate?”  
“A warning, then a high fine, then prison time.”  
“And what about killing an officer?”  
“Immediate prison time.”  
“Or a repo man?”  
“Prison time, or death penalty depending.”  
Dukat leans in. “And where does Quark stand?”  
Odo lowers his head. “Death penalty.”  
Dukat stands tall over Odo. “And you suggested we leave him be?”  
“Never mind, sir. It was a suggestion.”

Dukat wanders back to his desk. “Request for leave denied, and the next suggestion you make, better include Quark’s head on my desk, or don’t bother making any at all.”  
Odo clenches his fists. “Yes sir.”

Mere hours later, Odo vents at Quark’s den. “That bastard!”  
Quark watches from the couch. “Oh c’mon, he’s probably got a lot on his plate. He’ll come ‘round.”  
Odo continues to rant and rave. “His plate is so empty, that damn Bajoran redhead can put whatever she likes on it, and he’ll eat it!”  
Quark laughs.   
“It’s not funny. The whole plan has fallen. He wants you dead. I’m addicted to Zydrate, and that Kira is up to something nefarious!”  
Quark brushes it off. “Pft, you’re too uptight. All we were gonna do is fake my death, and we can still do that. Maybe he’ll let you take leave then.”

“While that Kira is dragging him along, I’ll be lucky to even speak to him again.” Odo sits down by Quark.  
“I think - You’re craving your next dose.”  
“No, I’m just pissed off. I didn’t used to react like this. It's only since the addiction all my emotions have come flooding because I’ve lost the ability to control them myself.”  
Quark nods. “Then it sounds to me like you need to experience some good emotions, and stop repressing the bad ones.”  
“Pft, good emotions. I think I smiled once.”

Quark taps. “You wanna feel good?”  
Odo sighs. “Sure.”  
Quark turns Odo to face him, then quickly kisses him. Odo instinctively does it back.

“How’d you feel?”  
Odo pulls a confused face. “I - I liked that.”  
Quark smiles. “Then tell your face.”  
Odo smiles.  
“You wanna do it again?”  
“Absolutely.” Odo lunges at Quark who takes it well and basically drags Odo over himself.  
Odo holds his face and twists further into the kiss.  
Quark moans and makes himself comfortable on his back. 

Odo pulls back slightly, seeing Quark all flustered and out of breath. “We need to stop.”  
“Oh, I was gonna suggest we go further.” Quark gently grinds himself on Odo to emphasize the point.  
Odo looked surprised to hear that. “Oh.”  
“You got time right?”  
“Time wasn’t my concern.”  
“Dukat’s not gonna find out.”  
“Still not my concern.”  
“Then what?”  
Odo looked around, trying to find the words.  
Quark figured it out. “Oh ….”

Odo sits himself up. “I’ve never ... wanted it. It’s not like I can feel it. Or as if I had some emotional obligation to try.”  
Quark encroaches back in Odo’s space. “Well now you do.”  
Odo looked into his eyes and let himself succumb to this new feeling.

Quark put Odo’s hands on his shirt buttons. Odo began undoing them. Quark took this opportunity to remove his jacket. Odo got his hands on Quark’s bare skin. That rush of excitement blaring back through him and making him seize Quark’s willing mouth again. 

Quark fell back and took Odo with him again, settling Odo right between his legs. Odo gently grinds back. Quark moaned and grabbed Odo’s clothes. Odo started unbuckling Quark’s belt. Quark kicked his shoes off. Odo dragged his trousers down.   
“Woah, okay, slow down.” Quark held Odo’s shoulder.  
“Sorry, I got excited.”  
“That’s good, but I wouldn’t mind seeing what I’m working with here.”  
Odo looked down on himself. “Do I have to be naked?”

Quark giggled. “It’s better if you are.”  
Odo reluctantly shifted naked. “If it's not right, just tell me to change it and I’ll see what I can do.”  
Quark’s eyes drift down and stop below the belt. “No, I can handle that.” Quark went back to shuffling free of his trousers. Odo ran his hands along any skin he could reach. Quark laid back further and encouraged him to touch the sensitive spots. Anything from his ears, to his ribs, to his thighs. “Odo .. Gonna need your fingers real quick.”

Odo presents his hand to Quark. Quark curls all but his first two fingers up and licks them. Odo watched as Quark pulled his last layer out of the way and put him in the right place.  
“Go in a little, pull out, go in a little, pull out …”  
Odo followed those instructions to the letter. Quark immediately started breathing heavier. Odo felt inclined to keep touching him, kissing him, watching his face go bright red.  
Quark couldn’t get enough touching. He loves that Odo is still kissing him, still holding him, still listening to him breathe while warming him up. No rush, no obligation, just because he’s like that. 

“Am I doing this right?”  
“Does it feel good?”  
“It does.”  
“Then you’re doing it right.”   
Quark was enjoying this little exploration. Odo taking full advantage of his body and doing such a good job with it.

“Quark … Do Ferengi have a spot?”  
“A what?”  
The look on Odo’s face. He wasn’t going to say it.  
Quark figured it out . “Oh! That spot. Curve your fingers.”  
Odo did so, now moving slightly faster, Quark gasped as he ran over it. “Perfect.”  
Quark laughed. “How’d you know about that?”  
Odo pulled a face. “It’s my job to know the body inside and out-”  
“Oh right, yeah. That would make sense.”

Odo sat up and pulled Quark towards himself along the couch with his hips. Odo leaned over and pressed himself in. Quark made a short exasperated noise. Odo kissed him quiet and slid himself further in. Quark separated their mouths so he could make some noise, only for Odo to pull him back and thrust again. 

Quark kissed back hard. Odo bumped his hips into him harder. Quark scrapes his nails down Odo’s back. He’s only encouraged by it, tilting Quark’s hips back and slamming against the spot.

Quark throws his head back, tears building his eyes.  
“Are you al-”  
“Keep going!” Quark begs.  
Odo does as asked and doesn’t stop.Quarks noises become intense. Odo just wants to see him come to completion. He knows he’s close. Quark cusses and pants and holds himself in just the right position that Odo can’t miss the good spot. As long as Odo doesn’t stop, he’ll get there.

Odo watches the little man huff and whine before finally sinking into his shoulders and losing complete control of his eyes. Odo slowed down simply to watch it happen. Quark giggled. “Curious are we?”  
Odo just nods and comes to a stop.  
“Do shapeshifters not …”  
“I suppose not. I feel good, but there's no … build up.”  
Quark nods. “Did you wanna get numbed out before work?”  
Odo smiles. “Can I take it from you directly?”

Quark catches that devious smile. “Hand me your dose.”  
Odo reaches to the table and gives his glass to Quark.  
Quark wills it around his mouth. Odo passionately kisses him.

Chapter 16

“Odo to Dukat.” His com beeps.  
Dukat can’t be doing with Odo today. “Go ahead.”  
“Quark’s gone missing. Presumed dead.”  
Dukat sits up. “Explain.”  
“His den is currently on fire. None of the locals are talking. We can only assume the worst.”  
Dukat smiles. “Well, that certainly takes a weight off my shoulders.”  
“I know how much you need the good news right now, sir. But while I’ve got you, I’d like to discuss my request for leave-”  
“Oh, of course. With such a slow work rate at the minute, it’ll give the others something to do.”

Odo gives Quark a devious smile. “Thank you sir. Over and out.”  
Quark wraps his arm around him while they watch the old den burn. “Upgrading was such a good idea.”  
“Honestly I couldn’t stand seeing you live in such squalid conditions.”  
Quark looks up at him. “I literally spend my spare time draining dead people-”  
“And I spend my work hours making them, but you don’t see me covered in filth.”  
Quark playfully hits him.  
Odo laughs.

Meanwhile, Kira just saw Quark’s name fall off the radar.  
“Kira to Dukat.”  
“Yes Kira.”  
“Why has Quark just left the red list?”  
“Oh, Odo has informed me of an accident on Bajor. Quark will no longer be a concern.”  
Kira squints. “Odo’s been spending an awful lot of time on Bajor.”  
“That's his job. And he’s notorious for taking his time.”  
Kira doesn’t believe this for one minute  
“Also, you’ll notice Odo’s two week leave has been approved. Would you mind pushing that paperwork through, dear. Thank you.”

Dukat in a good mood is not what she needs. Odo’s up to something. Not like that’ll matter when she brings this whole place to its knees. The Bajoran people will rise up. They will free themselves. She’s just got a little more to go.

Meanwhile  
“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Quark pouts.  
Odo collects his repo man equipment. “I mean, I don’t need anything right now and I have a job to do, and a vacation to pack for.”  
Quark scrambles over to him. “So, I’m losing my favourite customer as you decided to leave me for two weeks?”  
Odo sighs. “That was the agreement. I kick the Zydrate and the police leave you alone.”  
“I feel like I’ve been swindled here.”

Odo laughs. “If you’re going to miss me that much, you could always come with me.”  
Quark lights up. “Depends where you’re going.”  
“You can choose.” He kisses him goodbye. “See you tomorrow.”  
“Hey, you never told me who today's target was.”  
Odo stands on the window ledge. “Oh, no deaths today. Everyone in this province is paying up.”  
“You little cheat!”  
“See you soon.” Odo shifts out of the window.  
Quark’s angry face falls off. “Nah, I can’t stay mad at him.”

Chapter 17

Odo has dropped himself off at Risa. Quark will be following soon. That gives Odo time to unpack and prepare. Currently his entire body is buzzing with excitement to see Quark and dread about beginning his withdrawal. Quark is the last person he wants to hurt. But that's why he’s picked somewhere lovely, as an attempt to distract himself. Quark promised he’d leave the Zydrate behind, so as not to tempt him into feeling numb and starting the whole process over again. He trusts him and hopes that trust is well placed.

Meanwhile, Kira runs padds across the station. Paperwork that needs filing and can’t be sent via console. She scoffs. What Dukat wants is a papertrail he can burn when he finally-

Kira doubles over in pain and drops the padds all over the floor. She hits the ground and hisses. 

“My my, Kira, are you alright?”  
Kira looks up to see a familiar pair of boots. “I’m fine, Dukat.”  
“You don’t look it. Maybe we should get you to a doctor.”  
Kira slaps his hand away, “I’m fine!” She tried to stand and only crumbled again, collapsing and shaking on the ground.

She knows he did this to her. She just knows it. Whatever is wrong with her is his fault. She can’t get an organ replaced. She just knows her payments will go missing and Odo will take great pleasure in dragging out the procedure. Or worse. What if she ends up addicted and has to go through withdrawal? She saw how fully trained soldiers and a shapeshifter coped with it. She’ll never survive. 

Dukat tapped his foot. “I wouldn't be a very good boss if I didn’t provide some health care for my own employees, now would I?”  
Kira clenched her teeth and kept quiet.  
“Dukat to infirmary. I hope you’ve got a bed spare.”

Meanwhile, Odo and Quark are making the most of sunshine and friendly people. They lay out on the grass, just the two of them.  
“So how’d you end up with GeneCo?”  
Odo scoffed. “I like to keep order. Was force fed details about anatomy I truly did not want. I took what I was good at and what I liked doing, and found the perfect job with GeneCo.”  
Quark nods. “That’s cute … and kinda horrible”

“What about you? How’d you end up … there?”  
Quark smiled. “At first, it was an accident. After I left home, I ended up in some very strange places with some very strange people. A gang adopted me. They needed me to be the guy that climbs through windows and through vents and stuff. I used to open places from the inside, take my share of their profit and wait until they call me again.”  
“You were a thief.”  
“Kinda. I never actually took anything, but that's besides the point. The gangs stopped breaking into places and started selling Z. I was shown how to collect it. I was shown what people will do to try and get it. Then the leader started taking it. It caused conflict, so I took a few vials, the device that drains the bodies, and I followed the signs advertising GeneCo’s new roots on Bajor. Here we are.”

Odo raised his eyebrows. “That's very impressive.”  
Quark keeps going. “Then I got caught by the fucking shapeshifter -”  
“Oh be quiet you.”  
“Make me.”  
Odo pulled Quark over and kissed the living daylights out of him.

“Hey Odo, did you know sunlight counts as an aphrodisiac?”  
“I did.”  
“Hint hint.”  
“We need to go back to the room then.”  
“We can totally work around my shorts right now.”  
“People will see.”  
Quark closed the gap between them. “Like that's ever bothered me.”

Meanwhile, Kira lays on the operating table.  
The nurse shows her the scans. “It looks like your appendix has burst I’m afraid.”  
Kira shakes with pain and grimaces. “What does that mean?”  
The nurse sighs. “It means you’re going to be in extreme pain and possibly die if we don’t remove it. The procedure is relatively simple and it heals quickly-”  
“Is it possible to do without Z?”  
She hums. “Not really. I can already see you’re suffering and I can’t recommend we go ahead without it, but there's nothing we can do if you choose to go ahead without painkillers.”

Kira wipes a tear from her eye. “I’m not getting hooked on that stuff. I’ll do this without it.”  
The nurse sighs again. “If you say so.”

Meanwhile, Odo was curled up around Quark. Withdrawal had started and was already falling apart. Quark held him and tried his best to distract him.   
“So .. you tell me a lot about this Mora guy, but I still don’t know who he is.” Quark started.  
“He was a loveless bastard.”  
“Oh, sorry. Didn’t realise -”  
“No, I’m not angry with you. I’m still angry with him. He was never happy with me, and I was punished for being anything other than what he wanted, whenever he wanted it. The goal posts were ever shifting and no matter what I did, I couldn’t win.”  
“Oh, I’m so sorry Odo.”  
“Don’t be. I tried to be a better man than him, but I suppose I turned into a much worse person.”  
Quark touched his hand. “You stuck to your principles. That’s more than anyone could ask of you.”

Odo tightened his grip around him. “All I did was remove the element of my life that hurt, and used it as an excuse to hurt others. I shouldn’t be here.”  
Quark rolled to face him. “Bad people will always exist, Odo. There's always someone willing to take that job. It’s just fate that decides which side of the coin we land on. I mean, look at us. I’m here for you. You’re here for me, and yet a month ago we were trying to kill each other.”  
Odo squeezed him. “Thank you for being here.”  
Quark closed his eyes and swallowed his own emotions.

Meanwhile, Kira was given a thick piece of rubber to bite.  
The surgeons strap her down and tell her to look away. This is going to hurt.  
She can hear the laser scalpel turning on. A brief glimpse of heat before it burns through her skin and drags long. She screams and bites the rubber hard enough to hurt her jaw and all surrounding tissue.

The further they dig the worse it gets. She can feel them moving her skin out off the way and tugging at her insides. She cries out more and pulls on the restraints.

“Are you sure, you don't want-”  
Kira aggressively shakes her head, although her body is screaming for it to end at any cost.

The surgeon finally cuts and seals the offending organ. The wound is quickly pulled back together and also sealed. Her insides still burn. The cut along her tummy is sore. The screaming has slowly turned to pathetic crying.

Meanwhile, Quark spent the evening stroking Odo better and praying that he’ll fall asleep. He can’t bear it. Odo is suffering so badly, and it’s only day 2. It makes Quark think about all those people who couldn’t get hold of it. All those soldiers that he drugged. It makes him think about his role in all this.

Maybe Odo had a point. Maybe they’re both responsible for some kind of pain. Both of them justified it in claiming that the other one deserved it.

Quark looks down on Odo as he slowly loses his shape. No one deserves this.

Quark counts his blessings that he’s immune and that he’ll never need GeneCo’s organs or their drugs. But here Odo is. He never needed GeneCo. He’s here because he put him here.

Quark shakes his head. This isn’t his fault. And it’s not Odo’s. Do GeneCo really expect people to go through the surgeries with no pain killer? Do they expect people to just deal with the pain afterward and spend two weeks struggling like this. No, this is GeneCo building their own market and using people's own bodies against them to create compliance. Both of them are part of this chain now, and Quark can’t stand it. But if he stops, he puts even more people in Odo’s position.

It’s hopeless.

Chapter 18

Kira limps past Dukat. Dukat gives her a surprised look. “Kira, I didn’t expect you to be at work so soon.”  
“I can handle it.” She takes her seat at her desk and logs in.  
Dukat nods. She ignores him.

Odo wakes Quark up. “C’mon. We’re missing our vacation.”  
Quark stirs. “I thought you were suffering?”  
“It fluctuates until the first week, then it’s just solid, increasing pain.”  
The tone in which Odo said that disturbs Quark. “Okay. I’m getting up. What's on today's agenda?”  
“Mostly the same as yesterday I think.”  
Quark really doesn’t want to go through yesterday again. “If that's what you want.”  
“It is.” Odo kisses him on the head.  
Quark smiles and sinks.

Their day consists of Quark getting pampered, Odo reading, swimming, sex, Quark devouring ice cream and finally, Odo losing the plot.

Back in the room, Odo paces. Quark talks to keep him company.  
“What's inside of GeneCo look like?”, “Who’s this Kira you keep waffling on about?”, “What's your favourite thing to shift into?”, “If you could look like anyone, who would it be?”

Quark tried for hours. With limited success.

By the time it got dark, Odo laid on Quark while Quark scratched into Odo’s arm. It made him feel better apparently. Quark thinks he’s hurting him, but Odo can’t feel.  
“I got another one-”  
“Quark. I don’t want to answer any more questions.”  
“Okay.”  
“If I ask you a question, can you talk to me. Talk to me about it for a very long time.” Odo closed his eyes.  
Quark nodded. “Sure. What did you wanna ask?”  
“Where’s your family?”

Quark swallowed. “I’m glad you’re looking for a long answer. So I was born on Ferenginar. My father died not long after my brother was born. Moogie never moved on, but she’s doing well for herself. My brother on the other hand, picked a wife and messed up. Her father got him in debt, making Rom owe him more and more. Rom was stupid enough to fall for it every time. Eventually her father used this as a reason to divorce his daughter, and they took the kid. Rom got himself in even more debt when he tried to fight the case to get him back, claiming that Nog was in danger.”  
Odo was still awake and listening.  
“With no income, and completely destitute, the FCA told me Rom’s debts were mine. Rom found work, but barely enough to feed himself, never mind to start chipping into the FCA’s threat. I currently pay for Moogie’s upkeep and send money home so Rom can keep the FCA off his back.”

“What happens if he can’t pay?” Odo asked weakly.  
“They’ll throw him off the tower. I can’t let that happen. Not knowing he got in debt trying to get his kid back. It’s not his fault he’s an idiot.”  
That sentiment ran through Odo. “He’s an innocent. And you’re trying to protect him.”  
“Yup. Of course being an idiot doesn’t stop the FCA from debt collecting.”  
“It sure doesn’t.”  
Quark just realised how close to home that was. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t a dig at you-”  
“Don’t worry about it.”  
Quark can’t take this. Day 3 out of 14. 11 more of these to go, each getting worse than the last. He’s literally in bed with his worst enemy .. and he’s in love. Quark pushes that thought back down. Not the place or the time.

Meanwhile, Kira sits at her desk.  
“Kira, can you come in here?”  
“On my way sir.” 

Kira limps into the room. Her side still hurts. “You wanted to see me, sir?”  
“Oh, I just wanted to check up on you. See how you’re doing.”  
“Better than when it started sir.”   
Dukat smiles. “I’m very glad to hear it. Just a reminder, that if you need anything during this difficult time …”  
“I’ll make my concerns known, sir.”  
“Atta girl.”   
Kira limped back to her desk. She’ll power through it. She has to.

Chapter 19

Quark was woken up by Odo. This time though not on purpose. Odo was pacing. His fingernails dig into his arms. He was just walking regardless of what was in front of him.   
“Odo?”  
Odo moved as though he’d forgotten how bones work. “I’m sorry. I woke up early.”  
Quark watched as Odo walked straight through the chairs and tables in the room. “Should we get you some fresh air?”  
“I don’t think that's a good idea right now.”  
Quark snaps his fingers. “Maybe, you wanna run some steam off and go for a fly?”  
Odo groans. “Right now all I want to do is switch myself off. I can’t stop thinking and thinking and thinking.”

Quark curls up and thinks. “Mind if I go get some breakfast. Maybe when I come back, we could try and take your mind off it, huh?”  
Odo continues to walk into stuff and twitch. “Promise you’re coming back.”  
“Odo, I promise, I’m coming back.”  
Odo bumps into a wall but continues to try and walk through it.  
Quark gets out of bed and dresses with whatever clothes are available.

Meanwhile, Kira bides her time. The plan has expanded somewhat since the operation. The plan now, is simply to prove he caused her appendix to burst. She just needs to know how.

At first, she’d assumed poison, but the last thing he gave her was dinner and that was before he was mad at her. Then she thought it might be some kind of infrared pulse. Maybe they did something to her in her sleep? But how can they infect random people on Bajor without even getting near them?

What she needs is a good clear scan of herself and the damaged tissue.

Meanwhile, Quark returns and finds Odo half melted into a wall.  
“I’m back.” He says.  
Odo reforms the right way around.   
Quark showed his drink off. “It's Cardassian.”  
Odo cocked his head.  
“It's called Kanar. It's .. it's alright, actually. I was expecting it to be worse.”  
“Why would you order a drink if you’re not sure you’ll like it?”  
Quark shrugged. “It was a pretty bottle.”

Odo rolled his eyes and came to cuddle Quark. Quark cuddled him back.  
Odo leaned down. Quark leaned up. They kissed and embraced.  
“I think I know what might keep your mind off it?” Quark suggested.  
Odo’s fingers physically coiled around him. “I think I can handle that.”  
Quark gave him a predatory grin back. 

Meanwhile, Kira lied her way into the infirmary and stole a tricorder while no one was looking.

Next, she gave herself a once over and read the results. There was nothing wrong with her. Perfectly healthy. Lacking a few vitamins, but literally nothing wrong with her.

She assumes if she scanned the piece of her they removed, it wouldn’t say much either. It's probably been disposed of. Which means she needs scans from before and after the Cardassians got here. There's got to be some medic somewhere who she can contact.

Unless she can get into Dukat’s computer? Maybe she can get it straight from the source.

Meanwhile, Odo has been dragged to the side of the pool. Quark was right. The fresh air is doing him wonders, even if he doesn’t breath. Quark has splashed him a few times and comes back for his drink and a quick kiss every few minutes.

Something’s still not right though. Odo knows he’s gone from panicking, craving, fussing and all the other side effects of withdrawal, to suddenly being .. calm. Numb even. Odo looks at Quark swimming and being silly. He knows Quark is being cute, and silly and trying to make him laugh, but Odo can’t bring himself to smile, or laugh, or comment.

It's almost as if … Odo shakes his head. Quark promised.

This would usually be the part when Odo would get mad, but he just can’t seem to emote. He can’t move particularly fast even when he wants to.

“Quark .. What did you say you’re drinking?”  
Quark pulls himself onto the edge. “Kanar. Why?”  
Odo squints at the dark blueish brown glass. “What if I were suddenly curious about drinking?”  
Quark frowns. “But you don’t drink. Or eat. There’d be no point.”  
Odo leans forward. “But let's say I was curious and asked to try it.”

Quark freezes up. “I’ll go to the bar and get you one.”  
“No no, you may as well just let me take a sip of yours.”  
Quark laughs a little. “Don’t be silly. You may as well get your own.”  
“Why don’t you want me to drink it, Quark?” Odo tried to sound threatening, but it came out like begging.  
Quark huffed. “I’d rather not share mine with you.”  
Odo reaches for the glass anyway. Quark quickly knocked the glass over himself, spilling it and smashing the glass in the process.

Neither of them moved for what felt like forever.

“You broke your promise.” Odo said barely above a whisper.  
“I - I couldn’t stand seeing you like that. You need it. I need you.”  
“You. Broke. Your promise.” Odo grabbed Quark by the throat and stood up. “I’m not even mad. I physically can’t be.”  
Quark struggled off ground and held Odo’s wrist for dear life. “Odo - It’s.. Not like that…”  
Nearby holiday makers started panicking and calling for Odo to stop. Odo remained entirely focused on Quark. “I want to be angry with you. I want to regret my actions. I want to see the fear in your eyes and let go, Quark. But I can’t because you set me back to square one.”

Quark was changing colour. “Odo, it’ll wear off. You’ll regret it then...” Quark was losing his grip and slowly falling unconscious. “...Think .. a-head.”  
Odo thought about it and slowly let him down.

The people nearby stopped their fussing. 

Odo saw Quark on the ground choking and rubbing his neck. Odo simply walked away. 

Chapter 20

On the ship going home, Odo can feel his emotions welling back up. They’re weak but they’re there. He doesn’t understand how Quark could do that to him. They made a deal. Odo followed through and trusted him in his darkest hours. He was going to be there. They were going to look after each other. Quark betrayed him. Now he needs to start again without him. That's what hurts the most. Knowing there's no reason to get off the drug. No reason to suffer all over again, especially if Quark can just get him right back on it.

Maybe it's time he quit. Maybe Odo needs to do something with less criminals. Something less intense. He did once consider becoming a doctor. He knows the body well and gore never bugged him. He likes the idea of helping innocent people, but then there's all the drawbacks. Like saving criminals. Or having to use nice bedside manners.

Maybe he’d do better somewhere sterile. Maybe a surgeon wouldn’t be such a bad idea. It's ordered. It's clean. He’d still have to qualify and he’d need to get off zydrate again, but he’s sure he could do it. He’s just going to miss Quark. Odo closes his eyes and settles in his discomfort. If he could cry, now would be the time.

Meanwhile, Kira has decided to try again at talking to the hospital side of the station. She’s got a tricorder and she’s got a list of questions. Nothing suspicious, but if it comes down to it, she’ll just ask what's causing the organ failures in the first place.

She pressed the turbo lift doors, only to be met by Dukat. “Ah, Kira. How nice to see you? But my office is in the other direction.”  
Kira stumbled. “Ur, yes, but after my operation, I seem to have developed more medical questions. Thought I could ask before my shift starts.”  
Dukat let her into the lift. “Oh, then you wouldn’t mind my joining. Maybe we’ll both learn something new today.”  
Kira dealt with it. “Nothing I’m sure you don’t already know.”

The lift doors close behind her and they both stare at the doors as they move.   
“Don’t be so sure, Kira. I’m a businessman, not a doctor. My job simply entails that I give the doctors what they need to continue doing such a fantastic job.”  
Kira rolls her eyes. Just her luck that the guy in charge of her planet's medical care knows nothing about biology or medicine. Unless he’s lying.

Kira has considered it a possibility that he doesn’t let on as much as he knows. He plays dumb but knows exactly what he’s doing. There’s too many coincidences. Even this trip to the hospital is too perfect. Why was he here in the first place? He hasn’t asked about her questions. Why would he want to come with her?

They enter the hospital area and are immediately sprayed down with disinfectant.

Dukat waves his head nurse over. “Do you have a moment?”  
She shakes her head. “What do you need, sir.”  
“Ah, my assistant here is very interested in the medical field and has some questions regarding her treatment the other day.”  
“Oh … You’re that woman who refuses painkillers.”  
Kira stood straight. “Yeah, that’s me. I wondered what caused my appendix to burst? Was it something that could have been avoided or was it just bad luck?”  
The nurse tapped her padd. “It’s a simple case of bacterial infection. When inflamed, such organs have a bad habit of making an abscess, which can burst when the body moves.”  
“Uh huh. And how long do these things take to develop?”  
“Ooh.. most don’t notice until it's too late. The symptoms vary widely from that pain on your right side, to simple bloating or sickness. Things most people can brush off.”

Kira casually accepts. “Can any external factors cause such symptoms? You know, sickness and infection, that people might not notice in their daily life?”  
The nurse had to think about that one. “Most diseases and infections are caused by lack of hygiene.”  
“Anything more subtle?”  
“I don’t think I understand what you mean?”  
Dukat steps in. “Kira, we need to go back to my office. Thank you for your time, sister.”  
Kira is dragged away from the hospital. Dukat knows what she’s after. Kira just knows what she’s after. Which means she’s in danger.

Meanwhile, Odo docks and wanders like a ghost toward his room.  
“Kira to Odo.”  
Odo sighs. “Kira I’m not in the mood. Tell Dukat -”  
“No, I need you. We need to talk.”  
“ .. Is it about Quark?”  
“Your last report claims he died.”  
“ .. Yeah. He’s dead.”  
“Then I’ll drop by your room later. If I don’t show up, it means I’m dead.”  
Odo frowns at his communicator. “I’ll keep my door open for you then.”  
“Thank you Odo.”

Odo stops dead in his tracks. She’s never sounded so .. submissive. She’s scared of something. Or someone. And she trusts him. Odo runs to Dukat’s office.

Chapter 21

Kira spots Odo coming toward the office. She frowns.  
“Ahem, Kira. I seem to be having trouble with my room's door. The maintenance crew are all busy, so I would like you to put the report in yourself.” He winks at her.  
Kira catches on. “I’m gonna have to tell the boss.”  
“Be my guest.”

It only took 10 minutes to get back to Odo’s room.  
“Are you sure this place isn’t bugged?”  
Odo sits on the floor. “If It were, I’ve accidentally smashed it up now.”  
Kira joins him in the mess. “Excellent. Odo, I think GeneCo are purposefully killing my people off.”  
Odo cocks his head. “Why?”  
“For money, you dipshit! Why else?”  
Odo ignored the insult. “Do you have any idea how much it costs to build a space station and make a giant hospital slash barracks slash docking port slash office building out of it?!”

Kira got to her knees. “Listen Odo! While you’ve been sunning yourself, I tried to steal some documents from Dukat and then got out of there with my dignity intact. The next day my appendix suddenly burst. Does that sound like coincidence?!”  
Odo groaned. “That's not enough evidence.”  
“I will bet my actual life that one of my more serious organs fails by tomorrow.”  
Odo squints. “You think he’s targeting you?”

“I think this is planet wide. Something is making my people sick and keeping the Cardassians safe. They must be immune to something that we’re not.”  
Odo frowned. “What about me?”  
“What about you?”  
“Well, I don’t have any organs. I’ve never been sick. So it must be something that doesn’t affect me either.”  
“And we both know it's something that can’t affect a Ferengi.”  
“Can we please not talk about him right now.”  
Kira pulls a face. “Why?”  
“I- Never mind. What if whatever it is, is something on Bajor itself. Something the Cardassians don’t touch, or can’t use?”  
Kira falls back on her ass. “No, or else how did I get it.”  
“It must be something well targeted. Do you think they’ve done it elsewhere?”  
Kira laid on the floor. “Probably.”  
Odo gets up. “Then I need a working console. I can use my codes to access Cardassia GeneCo history and maybe put some pieces together.”  
Kira sits up. “My desk is linked to Dukat’s. We’re going to get caught.”  
“If he already knows you’re onto something, we’ve already been caught.” Odo offers his hand. Kira takes it.

They develop the plan as they speed walk. 

Kira knocks on Dukat’s door. “Enter.”  
She waltzes in, walking right at Dukat with half lidded eyes. “Sir .. I have some things I think we need to discuss.” She coos.  
Dukat suddenly changes his tone. “Oh .. come to your senses, have you?”  
“Well, I think I should apologize for my behaviour the other night.” She perches herself on his desk. “It was very rude of me to disregard such a humbling offer.”  
Dukat changes colour. “Oh, was it now?”  
“I think I was just scared of opening up to such a powerful man. Imagine, my superior, in my quarters, sharing dinner at my table … sharing my bed.”  
Dukat twitched.

Meanwhile outside the office, Odo works as fast as he can. The drug is still in the system so he can’t read as fast as he’d like and the panic of leaving Kira in Dukat’s office should really be setting in, but it’s just not.

Meanwhile back in the office. Kira shakes her hair free. “You’ve been so good to me lately. I don’t know how I didn’t see your generosity earlier.”  
He was looking her up and down now. “I’m glad to hear your seeing things more clearly now.”  
Kira slides off the desk, dragging the dress as she goes. Dukat definitely tried to look that time. “Oh, things are much clearer now.” She starts making her way around the desk. She just prays Odo hurries it up. “I’m such a fool for missing it .. until recently. You can’t blame a girl for getting so excited about working her dream job under such authority.”  
Dukat literally shuddered. “You like authority do you?”  
Kira sat on his side of the desk. “I love it.”  
Dukat growls.

Odo literally kicked the door of its hinges. “Kira, you were right!”  
Dukat didn’t get a chance to respond before Kira literally broke his nose.

Odo marched forward. “There isn’t a sentence worthy of this crime. You’re responsible for the deaths of millions!”  
Kira opened a drawer and pulled Dukat’s phaser out of it. “I oughta kill you right now.”  
Dukat pressed a button under the desk and called for security.   
“Kira, don’t. The people need to meet their devil.” Odo warns.  
“You’re right. We gotta get this information to the public.”  
“But how?”  
Dukat lunged for Kira.  
Odo extended a coil around Dukat’s neck and yanked him back over the table.

The guards arrive at the door with phasers at the ready.  
Odo turns to them “Don’t shoot. We have proof that GeneCo is evil.”  
One of them lowered his weapon. “And you didn’t know that?”  
“Not in the capitalist sense. In the crimes against humanity kind of sense.”  
“What’d he do?”  
Odo pleads with them “This whole thing is an invasion. This station, its medical care, it’s implementation of law, its ruling over the native culture … GeneCo is an invasion!”  
The guards all lowered their weapons. 

Kira points to Dukat. “This man lied to you. You’re not saving anyone. The organ failure is targeted.”  
“How?” One of the guards asks.  
Kira looks to Odo.  
Odo answers. “It was random pulses of radiation. I wasn't immune, but I was relieved of any radiation by the decontamination process.”  
“That would explain it”

Dukat groans from the floor. “What makes you think you can stop it?”  
Odo and Kira look at him.  
Dukat tries to get up, only for Kira to kick him back down. “Your people will always need organs. They will always need Zydrate. They will always need our superior technology,” he laughs. “The damage is done, and Cardassia is thriving on the ever growing flesh of your primitive culture.”  
Odo shakes his head. “The number of people I hurt … The innocent lives I ended … And you have the audacity to laugh?!”

Kira holds Odo back. “Odo, he will pay for his crimes, but right now we need to figure out how to save the people we can.”  
Odo literally shakes with anger. He faces the door, still with guards awaiting instruction. “I want a communication sending to central command!”  
Kira looks surprised to hear this. “Odo, are you okay?”  
“I’m supposed to be going cold turkey in my room right now, but instead I’m an emotional wreck who’s fucking pissed off! Soldier, tell central command that this station is being held hostage. The Bajorans want the full evacuation of EVERY Cardassian, and the station handing over, or the whole station will self-destruct with everyone on it!”

The soldier squints. “But we can leave?”  
Odo presses two buttons Dukat’s desk.“Not anymore you can’t.”  
Red lights and a warning alarm.   
The soldiers run off, leaving Kira, Odo and Dukat sitting in his office.

Chapter 22

Odo huddles on the floor with Kira.  
“I’m sorry I was such a bastard.”  
“Hey, you didn’t know.”  
“That doesn’t make it right. You were just trying to save your people, while I disassociated and purposefully caused them pain. Now look at me.”  
Kira stroked the shivering mess that is Odo. “I can’t say I agree with what you did, but you didn’t know any better. Now you know how easy it is to fall into this pit, I guess you’re more sympathetic toward the rest of us.”  
Odo grips Kira’s dress for security.

Dukat laughs from the other side of the room. “This isn’t going to work you know.” He tugs at his restraints.  
“Shut up, Skrain. No one asked your opinion.”  
Dukat cracks a smile. “Cardassia will destroy this station before they hand over that kind of technology.”  
“I should hope for your sake you’re wrong.”  
Dukat only laughs again. “And to think, I nearly had you bent over-”  
Odo shoots a tendril out of his arm and nuts Dukat’s head into the wall, knocking him out cold. “I’m sorry. He was pissing me off.”

Kira giggles. “I would pay to see that again.”  
“Thank you by the way. For distracting him.”  
“Eh, I’ve done worse.”  
“Hmph.”  
Kira smiled at him. “Hey, why is Quark such a touchy subject for you?”  
Odo curled up harder. “I don’t want to talk about it.”  
Kira stroked him again. “Oh c’mon. We might be dead in a few hours. Now or never.”  
Odo huffed. “It - It’s embarrassing.”  
“Now I wanna know even more.”

Odo rolled his eyes and smiled. “He .. He got me with the Zydrate twice. Sorry, three times, nonconsensually.”  
Kira stopped smiling. “And that's it?”  
“No … After I started feeling emotions again, and stopped repressing them, we started a relationship.”  
“What?!”  
“I know, I know. But he made me feel good. No one else had ever made me feel good before. Then, while on Risa, I asked him to be there while I tried to kick my addiction that HE caused. He got upset and gave me a dose against my will. I left him.”  
Kira was saddened by that. “Oh my gosh, Odo, I’m so sorry.”

Odo convulsed on the floor. “I miss him so much. I know why he did it, but I’d have rather him just admit that he couldn’t handle it. I thought he trusted me. I thought I could trust him.” Odo pulled himself into Kira’s embrace. “He was right. I’m a monster.”  
Kira pushed him off. “We’re all monsters.” Kira points at Dukats body “He’s the worst offender, but we’re all monsters in this.” She held his hands. “My little conspiracy theory is about to kill hundreds of innocent Cardassians. You followed orders and killed hundreds of innocent Bajorans. Quark has been dececrating mass graves for sex and money. No one here is innocent, Odo.”

Odo calmed down. “Thank you .. for reminding me we’ll never live down our sins.”  
Kira shrugged. “Aren’t you immortal?”  
The sirens suddenly got more intense. “1 HOUR. UNTIL SELF DESTRUCT.”

Then the console beeped. Kira answered it. “Hello?”  
“Is this the leader of the Bajoran terrorist organisation holding our station?”  
Kira looked to Odo who shrugged. “Yes? Yes, this is the head of the resistance cell of this province. Who am I speaking to?”  
“The legate of Cardassia. Where is Dukat?”  
“He .. is being interrogated” Kira proclaimed while staring at Dukat’s unconscious body on the floor.  
“How did you initiate the self-destruct?”  
“We … “ Kira looks at Odo. “... interrogated Dukat’s head .. Repo man?”  
The Cardassian on screen looked confused. “The shapeshifter? How did you get him to confess?”  
Odo imitated being electrocuted. Kira looked back at the screen. “We electrocuted him … until he couldn’t take it anymore.” Odo gave her a thumbs up.  
“Well, Odo and Dukat will be considered traitors, so you can keep them, but we do want our employees back.”  
Kira nodded. “Alright. Here are our terms …”

Chapter 23

In less than 24 hours, Cardassia had collected their doctors, nurses, programers, technicians and all the other professionals … all except Dukat. Dukat remained on his knees as Kira flew his ass down to Bajor to explain the good news.

“People of Bajor! No longer must we bow to GeneCo and its corrupt system! Terok Nor has been abandoned,and its medical supplies left at our disposal! Take what you need, as you need! No soldiers, no repo, no organ failures. Bajor is no business. Its people will receive the care it needs, when it needs it, regardless of occupation!” 

Kira displayed Dukat to the people below her. “As for THIS abomination, I say we show him our gratitude, with the same brutality he showed us.”  
Dukat swallowed. He’s just glad Odo’s not here.

Meanwhile, Odo sets up a forcefield against the door of his room. Once he’s in, he’s stuck there for two weeks. He sinks. This isn’t how he wanted this to go, but here he is.

He steps through, and hears the hum of his own work seal him in.

He just wishes Quark were here.

A day later, Kira sits in the corridor facing Odo’s door. The doors open and she can see straight through to Odo.  
“ …. And since you’re possibly the most qualified person on the entire planet, the people have decided to pardon you. I think they knew from your “method” that you never intended to hurt anyone. And as long as you stick to that .. I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”  
Odo waved. “No no, keep talking. I could do with hearing another voice for a few hours.”  
She laughs. “A few hours huh? I don’t know if I can fill that time all by myself.”  
He smiles. “Then ask away.”

Before she got a word in, a certain Ferengi pops around the corner.  
Kira giggled. “Hypothetically, would you wanna go back to Quark?”  
Odo huffed. “I have no idea. I miss him so much, but I’m still really angry with him. But maybe things could be different now.”  
“Yeah, now you’ve destroyed my little operation, things are definitely different.” Quark interrupts.  
Odo jumps up. “Quark?!”  
Kira leaves to give them some space.

Quark takes her place. “So I got myself off Risa, thanks for asking, then I hitched a few lifts back to Bajor, only to see my customers committing horrendous acts against Dukat and then healing him, and doing it all over again.”  
Odo scoffs. “I couldn’t think of anything brutal enough to pay for his crimes, so we decided to let the people do as they wished and keep him alive long enough to get through everyone.”  
“Lemme guess. You’re free to go?”  
“I was thinking about qualifying for something helpful, like a doctor.”  
Quark cocks his head. “That's a big subject.”  
“I’ve got time.”

Quark settled back.  
Odo cocks his head. “And what about you?”  
“I don’t know. Might move and follow GeneCo if I can’t find enough work to pay for Rom.”  
“I .. think I might be able to help with that. That is, if you can struggle on without me for the next two weeks.”  
“I’ve got time.”  
Odo smiled.  
Quark smiled.

Two weeks later…

Quark and Rom stand side by side. Brunt flicks through the paperwork. “The FCA are fully aware that YOU did not pay his debt ….”   
Quark grins. “No, but a member of my household can, right Odo?”  
Odo smiles. “If all the paperwork checks out …”  
Brunt groans. “Custody has been granted.”

A smaller, thinner Ferengi is pushed toward Rom.  
“Dad?”  
“Nog.”  
Rom opens his arms. Nog runs into them.

Quark nudges Odo. Odo rolls his eyes.  
“You did a good thing here.”  
Odo shrugs. “10 years of wages just … accumulating. It needed to go somewhere.”  
Quark smiles at him.

Nog looks up. “Who are you?”  
Odo doesn’t get a word in, because Quark answers. “Uncle Odo.”  
“Right .. uncle Odo.”  
Rom whispers. “Thank you” to them.

The family makes it back to Bajor. 

A mere week later, the whole squad sat in the square. Nog and Rom are doing some father-son bonding, Odo currently has hold of Quark, and Kira has spotted a woman with a baby.  
“Oh Prophets, look at her. How old?”  
“Oh, just 6 months.”  
Kira has an epiphany. “I know you. You’re that woman Odo collected from.”  
The woman looked shocked. “I thought I recognised your voice.”  
“I am so sorry about Odo. I wish I could have done more.”  
“Oh, no, it’s okay. I found out my husband had purposefully avoided paying the debt to try and get rid of her. Luckily I got Odo, and Odo saved her.”  
Kira tried to take all that in. “Well, that’ll be an interesting story to tell her one day.”  
“It sure will. Did you wanna hold her?”  
“I’d love to.”

Odo stroked Quark while they talked.  
“So I was thinking about selling my hypogun idea. What do you think?”  
“And do what with the money?”  
“I dunno. Maybe set up a business or go into the medical field with you.”  
“I like that.”  
“And maybe we restore your room. Make it a little more colourful.”  
“Who said we were living on Terok Nor?”  
“How else are you supposed to get to work?”  
“Quark, I literally have a ship. We can live anywhere.”  
Quark looked at the happy people around him. “Why would we wanna go anywhere else?”  
Odo cuddled him.


	2. Crack.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just crack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously. I gave up. Its just crack.

Someone beams into the square.

“A CARDASSIAN!”  
Every single person pulls a weapon of some sort.  
Quark looks at Odo, who has shifted some sort of small knife. “Really?”  
Odo shakes, realising this is his repo tool. “I - It's all I know.”  
Rom looks at Nog. “Where’d you get that?”  
Nog has a little shiv. “It makes me feel better.”

Kira knudges the new Cardassian with her phaser, baby still in her arms. “Who are you, and what do you want?”  
The man turns to face the group. “Put away your weapons, I am unarmed.”  
No one moves.  
The man tries again. “I have come to request asylum, as my people have exiled me for betraying them.”

Dukat, who is tied to a cross on the edge of the park, verbally moans. “Oh no, not you.”  
The other Cardassian lights up at seeing him. “Ha. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”  
Kira puts her gun away. “You know him?”  
“My name is Garak. Let’s just say we didn’t part on good terms.”  
“Any enemy of this monster is a friend of mine. Welcome to Bajor.”  
“Happy to be here.”

Dukat tries to pull himself free again and fails miserably.  
“Can I ask why he is displayed like this?” Garak asks.  
“Oh, people pay to cause him damage. The money goes to the running Terok Nor as a charity hospital.”  
“A worthy cause. What's the limit?”  
“If it can’t be fixed with a dermal regenerator, don’t do it.”  
Garak looked like he was just shown the secrets of the universe. “I might take you up on that.”

The end? I dont know what the fuck I’m doing here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed any of this, don't bother with teh next bit. It was a 3AM joke that I wanted to include.


End file.
